A Hogwarts Whodunit
by Loony-1995
Summary: One stormy, cold night Harry Potter is murdered at Hogwarts and there are only five suspects; Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Colin Creevy. Ron is determined to find the killer. Whodunit?
1. Murder!

One part of each chapter will be half in third person and then Ron's POV – just so you know.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the show and maybe, given the clues, you'll be able to figure out _**whodunit**_**? **Good luck! :)

* * *

_Let me tell you a story.  
One of lies, heartbreak and deceit. One of murder!  
Some of it is gathered from my own experience but some from what I have later learnt. And let me tell you now, faithful readers, do not trust what is told to you, do not trust what you read. You can trust no one – I have learnt that the hard way.  
Let me tell you a story of my best friend's murder; the murder of Harry Potter, the boy-who-didn't-quite-live._

* * *

It was a cold, dark mid-autumn's night that tragedy struck, changing the lives of those involved forever.  
Rain lashed down drowning everything in its path; howling winds beat and crashed the castle relentlessly; thunder hurtled from the heavens detonating ear drums; and bruised angry clouds suffocated a murky sky. Death hung ominously.

Most students had huddled in the Great Hall with all professors present. This was the greatest storm that the school had ever witnessed, even the Whomping Willow stood in awe of its aggressive power. Part of the Astronomy tower had lost its battle with Mother Nature and, for safety, students had been chaperoned into the hall. They would be sleeping there tonight, memories of past attacks resurfaced.

Each Head of House took a register, Dumbledore's orders; Flitwick remarked that all of his students were present but Sprout just raised one index finger in response, Snape sneered and McGonagall pulled the headmaster to one side.

'I am missing five students!' She tried to hide the panic but three of the five belonged to the infamous 'Golden Trio' who seemed to hunt out trouble.

'Do not worry Minerva, I am sure all is well.'

'Oh,' she looked up to the hall doors which had sheepishly opened. 'Make that four.'

Ronald Weasley slunk into the back of the hall and raised a hand in apology to his Professor, yet she beckoned the lanky boy over.

'Who are you lacking, Severus?' Asked Dumbledore politely as Ron made his way to the teachers.

'Draco Malfoy,' his voice dragged out, Dumbledore just nodded in response.

'And I am missing Luna Lovegood.'

'Sorry-,' began Ron with his head down and his hands in his pockets.

'Where are the others?'

'What, miss?'

'Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevy,' she read out as she flicked through her lists. 'Like you, they have not reported to the hall as instructed. I simply assumed you would have been with them.'

Ron's mouth dropped open.

'I haven't seen Hermione or Harry since this morning at breakfast, I spoke to Ginny just as the message boomed out and I have no idea when I last saw Creepy, sorry Creevy,' he said before McGonagall asked the obvious.

She dismissed Ron.

'Weasley.' She added as he turned and began to walk over to his dorm mates. 'Have you seen Malfoy?' Ron just shook his head. 'Off you go.'

* * *

'No, I've seen none of them,' said Seamus and those around him nodded in agreement. Ron had made his way over to Seamus, Dean, Neville, Padma, Parvati and Lavender who had gathered together.

Ron glanced up at a large floating clock and saw it hit quarter past seven and wondered where his best friends were, hoping they were all safe; why shouldn't they be?

Most of the missing students returned in the time that followed – well three of them anyway.  
Draco swaggered in at eight o'clock with a Cheshire cat grin on his face; Ginny shuffled in looking more nervous than usual at nine; and at half nine, Hermione meekly crept in, large book in hand.

'Where you been 'Mione?' Asked Ron concerned.

'Oh, the library.' Ron didn't know what else he would have expected.

As time passed and clocks struck eleven o'clock, the gentle hum of conversation drifted down and became a whisper. To the anxious professors (and Snape) Dumbledore had said that all would be well and the missing students would, in their own time, make their way back to the school. So far his words had been true and only three students were yet to wonder their way into the hall.

'Alright Albus?' Called Hagrid as he lumbered his way into the hall. 'Sorry, me and Luna got stuck out in me hut,' he said with a laugh – that was another student solved. Dumbledore smiled at Sprout and Hagrid made his way over the other professors.

'Where is she now?' Asked Sprout as she looked behind Hagrid and saw no girl.

'Oh, she was behind me,' he turned and scratched his scruffy, matted beard confused.

They all watched as the doors of the Great Hall swung open and Luna walked in.

Her hands were covered in some red liquid.

The hall became deathly silent and shocked gasps filled the tense air.

And in her most normal, calm Luna-tone she absentmindedly announced:

'Harry Potter has been murdered.'

* * *

_That's the moment my life changed forever._

_Who knew five words could do so much?_

_Time seemed to freeze and then it hit fast forward._

_Students rushed backwards and professors ran forward. Luna was hurried out of the hall. Hermione grabbed me and pulled me. Dumbledore ordered the hall still. But he let us follow; the great hall doors slamming shut behind us._

_Luna seemed in no particular rush; Harry certainly wasn't going anywhere._

_She led us to a small, thin corridor off the main hallway and turned down a sharp right corner and down some steps to a large window. There was a small faded blue window seat and either side rich blue curtains. Tucked under the bottom of the left hand curtain was a hand._

_Dumbledore halted our small group and with a flick of his wrist, Hell was revealed._

_Harry lay at a fallen angle, a green jewelled dagger stabbed directly into his heart; his green eyes filled with shock and betrayal. He hadn't expected it but he knew who had done it. When he did realise though, it was far too late to do anything.  
But the Dead don't speak._

_I froze. Everyone was still. Time paused itself again. Then reality crashed back down on me._

_The professors gave stifled gasps and a single tear slid down McGonagall's cheek, even Snape looked sad – or was that just guilt?_

_Hermione screamed and collapsed to the floor, not daring to touch the lifeless teen. Tears gushed from her broken soulful eyes._

_I froze._

_I seemed to stop. I didn't cry, for some reason, I couldn't._

_My best friend, my confident, my brother, my protector, my charge was dead._

_I think I crumpled next to Hermione and put an arm around her to try and comfort her but what was an arm, my arm going to do? Nothing – that's what!_

_But I remember that I just couldn't take my gaze from Harry's eyes. I just couldn't. I held his look and I broke the silence._

'_I'll find who did this Harry and I'll make them pay.'_


	2. Suspects & Mr Malfoy

'Right Fox, talk to me.'

'Boy was killed between the hours of seven and ten last night. He was stabbed once in the back, apparently that was post-mortem, but what killed him was the stab wound to the heart. A small decorative blade, non-magical, was used – belongs to Draco Malfoy apparently. He would have died instantly after that. Any cries would have been covered by the storm and it could be a male or female.'

'Cameras?'

'One was installed in the main corridor last week and it does cover the small corridor.'

'And?'

'You can't see anyone entering or leaving it. But sir,' Fox added when he saw Stone raise one eyebrow. 'Victim had an invisibility cloak which can't be found.'

'So the murderer must be shorter or the same size as the boy to fit under it.'

'Err nope,' Fox said, popping the "p". 'I've had accounts that Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter would all fit under it together, so that doesn't help.'

'So I've got to find an _invisible _cloak, shouldn't be too hard!' Stone shook his head. 'Any more on that knife?'

'Doc says the stab wounds came at a low, upwards trajectory so the culprit was probably shorter than the vic or around the same size. And, off record of course, Doc says he was probably killed between eight-ish or nine-ish but he's not going to commit to that in court.'

'I'm sorry, this helps how? I've probably got over a thousand suspects, let the fun begin.'

'May I stop you there boss? We've only got five suspects, thank Merlin. Five students didn't go to the hall as instructed so none have an alibi for the murder frame and one of them owns the knife that killed him. They are... Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, it's his knife, Colin Creevy and Ginny Weasley, they've all been separated and when you're ready sir, we can get started on interviews.'

'It was Malfoy's knife?'

'Yes sir.'

'Let's take him first.'

* * *

'I'm Detective Inspector Jack Stone and this is Detective Sergeant Taffy Fox,' they both flashed warrant cards and sat down opposite the blond. They had commandeered a small, empty classroom for their interviews; there was only one table and four chairs, two on each side.

Draco Malfoy sat slumped in one with Snape next to him, neither looking pleased to be there or like they were going to help this investigation.

'I want a lawyer.'

'I want a sex-mad teenage girl but we don't get what we want,' muttered Stone to Fox.

Stone looked approximately in his late forties; his brown hair was cut short and going grey at the temples; small wrinkles collected around his eyes, his mouth and wide forehead; his nose slightly crooked to the right; and the corners of his small mouth naturally set themselves down. He wore (at all times) a long grey mac and his suit underneath looked neither tidy nor new. The overall appearance wasn't lasting – if you met him again, you might just remember but would never be able to put a finger on where and when you had seen him and you certainly wouldn't remember who he even was. Stone found this a good quality for his job and it had done him favours in the past.

Fox was in his thirties but could pass for younger. He was at least six and a half foot but he was not lanky. He was more brawn then brain. His mouth naturally fell in a cheeky smirk; his large blue eyes twinkled and he had adorable dimples when he smiled; his brown hair swayed to the right just below his ears; his ears were small in proportion but pointed out from his head; a cigarette sat tucked on top of his right ear; and his hands stayed resting in his trouser pockets. His white shirt sleeves would be rolled up to his elbows and, along with a black blazer, would proudly show off his muscles; a block colour tie would lay down his chest practically screaming at any female that walked past to rip it off; he always wore black work trousers and pointy black shoes that shone like the stars. Fox was foxy and he damn well knew it.

Fox lent back in his chair and Stone lent forward towards Draco. Fox flicked his wrist and a pen, ready to write what was dictated, hovered over the notepad he pulled from his jacket; Stone began his questioning.

'Where were you between the hours of seven and ten o'clock last night?'

Draco sat silent for a few minutes before he dragged out an answer.

'The hall.'

'Don't lie boy, you walked in late. You,' Stone flicked through his notepad in front of him. 'Arrived at 8 which gives you plenty of time to murder Potter, clean yourself up and arrive calm. Plenty of time.' Draco looked at Snape, who said nothing, and then glared at Stone.

'I didn't kill him.'

'But you hated him and you had a fight with the deceased shortly before he was found murdered. And told him you'd kill him... you just kept your promise.'

'I didn't!' Draco slammed his hands down. 'I fucking did _not_!' Draco didn't do murder and pressure together. Stone just relaxed back into his chair.

'Do you recognise this?' From behind Stone floated a green jewelled knife encased in a transparent bubble. Draco just nodded and sat up straighter. 'This is the murder weapon.'

Draco's grey eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open.

'Close your mouth before something flies in.'

Draco did as he was told.

'So tell me, how did your knife end up in Harry?'

'I lost it.'

'If I had a sickle for every time someone said that, I'd be on my own island surrounded by playwitches.'

'I lost it,' repeated Draco.

'When then? And why didn't you report to Dumbledore that you'd lost such an item, a dangerous item?'

Draco was silent and looked pleadingly at Snape.

'He told me.'

'You're his Head of House, of course you're going to say that,' glared Stone.

'Look, yes I hated Harry, he was an egotistic twat. But I didn't kill him,' Draco stood up. 'You'll hear from my father,' he said with a superior air and swaggered out, wondering why he hadn't said that sooner.

Snape nodded to Stone and Fox and followed his student out of the room.

'He's guilty,' said Fox as the door shut behind Snape.

'Yeah but of what?'

'Murder, sir.'

'I don't think so, he's not calm enough.'

'Seems pretty cocky.'

'He's a Malfoy, they're taught that from birth.'

'Shall I get him back?'

'No, we'll deal with him later. Who's next?'

'Harry Potter's girlfriend, Ginny Weasley.'

* * *

_We'd all been sat outside a small classroom in a line for half an hour when two men had strolled in, ignored us and walked straight into it._

_Draco Malfoy was in there and I was convinced that he'd done it. He hated Harry, he hated that Harry was better than him. And according to my favourite gossip queen (aka Lavender Brown) it was Malfoy's knife that killed Harry – what more proof did you want?  
He had had time to kill Harry and walk back into the hall just after me. But sadly, both Hermione and Ginny returned after him and so they both had time to kill Harry too but I knew them. They couldn't kill Harry, not because they're female – no in my mind, women are far more dangerous than males and we stupidly underestimate that. But because they both loved him in their own ways._

_But, hey, love can be a powerful thing – I know that _now_._

_We weren't allowed to speak; one male and female auror stood opposite us, halting any conversation. Hermione was next to me but her head was down so I couldn't talk to her, I couldn't even give her a reassuring smile. Ginny was on my other side and was in the same position as Hermione but she had looked at me a couple of times and I had given her the strongest smile I could muster. She would just give me a shaky, nervous, sad smile back – I wondered if she would ever be the same again. I doubted it._

_Last in the line of suspects was Colin Creevy or Colin Creepy as I call him. He was obsessed with Harry, maybe the young stalker did him in. But Creepy hadn't stopped weeping since Harry had been found but he was the only person who hadn't returned to the hall. And he didn't look like a killer to me, far too meek and mild. No I didn't think it was him either._

_So at that point in time, I believed that the murderer was Malfoy. Cold, heartless Malfoy.  
He had motive, means and no alibi. _

_On the last chair sat Luna. She was sitting rather contently and her legs swung back and forth under the chair, her feet not touching the ground. Innocent little Luna. Why did she have to find him? But as I looked at her, I noticed that it didn't seem to frighten her or worry her. I think she knew Harry was safe now and in her bright yellow colours, humming a happy tune, she radiated calm and wellbeing – she gave me a little comfort in that cold corridor. I was glad she sat with us._

_It hadn't been very long when Draco stormed out of the room and I guessed his last line had probably been "my father will hear about this" or something to those words. Snape slunk out after him, his hard work done for today – poor McGonagall had four interviews to sit through before her time was over. _

_McGonagall descended down the steps to our corridor and gave me a strong smile as I caught her eyes; Luna called a cheerful hello. No one else looked up.  
Without knocking, she walked into the interrogation room and closed the door behind her._

_I wondered who would be next. _

_A man in his thirties popped his head around the door and called out;_

'_Ginny Weasley.'_


	3. Miss Weasley

Ginny shuffled in and took her seat, glancing only nervously at McGonagall.

'I am Detective Sergeant Fox and this is Detective Inspector Stone,' Fox's voice was gentle and caring. Ginny felt herself melt and relax at his words. 'Now, we've just got to ask you a few routine questions, nothing too stressful, is that okay?'

Ginny nodded her head.

'Where were you between the hours of seven and ten? We know you arrived into the Great Hall at nine o'clock,' as Ginny looked up, her eyes still full of tears, she saw the handsome smile of Fox.

'I-I went to meet Harry,' Stone sat up in his chair but Ginny did not see this as her eyes focus on her lap. Fox said nothing and waited for the young girl to continue. She looked at McGonagall for support.

'It is okay Ginny,' she rubbed Ginny's arm in comfort.

'But I couldn't find him.'

'After that? You've still got two hours unaccounted for,' Fox's tone did not push for an answer but gently nudged.

'It was around seven thirty and I was in the common room where Harry told me to meet him and I got bored of waiting and I was cold and I remembered that I had my cardigan in my room and so I went to my room and I must have fallen asleep because it was nearly nine when I woke up and then I went to the hall,' her speech was slow and became one long sentence, almost like a young child's.

'Thank you,' Fox smiled warmly. 'Were you and Harry close?'

'He is- oh!' She exclaimed when she realised her relationship was now in the past tense, she sniffed and paused. But she was a Weasley and Weasleys are strong; she had to get through this, for Harry's sake. 'He was my boyfriend; we'd been together for a couple of months.'

'You were on good terms then?' Ginny gave a smile.

'Yes, very good. I loved him and he loved me, I still love him.'

'Was everyone happy about this?'

'Yes,' she gave a small sad laugh. 'Ron, my brother, was slightly angry at first but he was Harry's best friend and then he was happy for us,' Fox nodded but when Ginny looked back down, he and Stone exchanged looks – both knew Ron was probably anything but happy about his best friend dating his only and younger sister.

'Is-is there anything else?' Fox shook his head and looked to Stone.

'May I just ask one more question?' Ginny seem to be shocked to learn that Stone was there. She nodded. 'When did you last see Harry's cloak?'

She glanced guilty at McGonagall.

'The night before last,' she gave a reministant smile. 'We had snuck out together after curfew,' but McGonagall just patted Ginny's back.

'Is that all?' Asked McGonagall speaking to the detectives for the first time.

They nodded.

'Thank you for your help Ginny,' Fox stood and shook the young girls hand; she gave a weak smile and left the room.

A Ravenclaw prefect knocked and was admitted.

'Professor, the headmaster would like a quick word with you, if that is alright,' Stone nodded and McGonagall swiftly followed the student.

'Thoughts sir?'

'She's hiding something, she guilty about something other than sneaking off with him.'

'Cheating? Maybe she's pregnant?'

'I don't think so Fox but cheating...,'

'She's cheated on him and feels bad about it now?'

'Or he was cheating on her? And she did him in because of it. Get Stevens and Wright, young girls seem to like them – can't see why! Get them to have a chat with the gossips; every school has some, see what was really going on. They've probably got eyes and ears everywhere; see if they know where our suspects really were.'

'You don't believe her?'

'No, I don't think I've ever believed anything I've been told in interviews. People just don't seem to want to tell the truth.'

Fox nodded and quickly wrote a small note and with a flick of his wand, the note flew off.

'Hmm, get the other Weasley in next.'

'What is it sir?' Fox noticed a change in tone in Stone's voice.

'Well according the doc, the murderer was shorter or the same height as the boy and everyone fits that minus the boy Weasley.'

'How do you know?'

'Don't be daft, he looks tall just sitting down, I'll bet you anything he's at least six foot, probably way over that. And he arrived into the hall at seven, just after Dumbledore ordered the students, and our doc says off record Harry was killed between eight and nine.'

'So you don't think it's him?'

'Well already the evidence suggests no and I'll go with that. I don't think Weasley murdered Potter but he might be able to shed some light on all of this. And I think he could help us; he was remarked to have said that he would find who did this and I bet he will want to aid us as much as he can. Now get him in here before that Professor gets back, I want to have a word with him.'

* * *

_I wanted to demand that I be taken in with Ginny, she was my sister after all, but I knew they would never allow it and I just couldn't seem to find my own voice._

_She was longer than Malfoy was and she seemed calmer when she came out than he did. She seemed to look a little relived too, but about what I couldn't decide?_

_She was taken away by a newly arrived female auror with a kind face and I hoped that Mum would be here soon to take care of Ginny. I could protect her but Mum was the only thing that would be able to comfort her. My poor sister._

_She had loved Harry; I knew that, everyone knew that._

_She deserved the best and she thought she had it – she was happy and I 'spose that's all you can ever hope for._

_I didn't think that they had a logical order to their interviews but there must have been some kind of reasoning behind it all._

_Then McGonagall left quickly after a Ravenclaw student summoned her away._

_And as I heard the door opening, I saw a man in a long mac beckoning me in._

_With a glance to Hermione, who still looked down with her eyes closed (maybe she had fallen asleep? Merlin, she needed it, I doubt she had slept), I hurried in to the room._

'_I'm Stone and that's Fox,' I surveyed both men and found I instantly trusted and liked them, there was just something about them that I found safe. 'This is not your interview but we both know you want to find out who do this,' I just nodded; I had been talked at enough in my life to know when to speak and when to just nod, this was a nod conversation._

'_You know what goes on in this school, you hear the truth and the gossip, we want to you be our inside man of sorts. Find out relevant things and pass them on to us, we know everyone is going to lie about where they were and we know that someone would have seen the truth. You can ask questions we can't and to the questions we can both ask, you'll get the truth. We're not asking you to be a snitch but to help us find out who killed your best friend. We'll interview you last as you seem to be the only one with a strong alibi and no apparent motive. Will you help us?'_

'_Of course,' I nodded rapidly; I had to help them find out who did this. It was all I could do in Harry's memory. And until the true culprit was found, my sister, 'Mione and I would be seen as murderers. When the truth was found we could all be seen as innocent bystanders to this horrid crime, then we would be free from malicious gossip and rumours._

'_Lastly, who's the gossip here?' I didn't, at the time, understand the relevance of the question but it later dawned on me that his man was smart – gossips know everything; everything they say stems from some sort of truth no matter how twisted and far off the final rumour is. Gossips are normally like the last in the chain of a game of Chinese whispers, a message is passed around and they get the story with other peoples' assumptions and adaptations. _

'_Err, Lavender Brown I would say, well in Gryffindor anyway, it was Malfoy's knife right?'_

_Stone looked confused but nodded._

'_We haven't released anything like that yet,' butted in Fox and I gave a small laugh._

'_That's Lavender for you, is that all?'_

'_Yes for the moment but of course we'll want to officially speak to you later,' Stone and Fox both nodded to me and I hurried back out to my seat outside._

_And just as I sat down, McGonagall flew down the stairs and into the classroom. _

_But they had me thinking; I knew that I had to investigate this murder for myself, Harry was my best friend. I couldn't ask Hermione, she was far too upset and would just tell me to leave it; not Ginny, in case my asking put her in danger and she was heartbroken; I certainly wasn't going to ask Creepy or Malfoy (but Malfoy knew all Slytherin gossip and Slytherins certainly know what goes on more than any other house...); my dorm mates were far too clumsy and lacked the tact I wanted, but Lavender! She had a sly female approach that could help, she knew everything about everyone and she wasn't too bad to spend a lot of time with. She wouldn't cry over Harry – I knew that; her head would be clear and she would be unbiased concerning the four suspects the detectives and I now had.  
I would have to have a word with Lavender, or Lav as she wants me to call her, sooner rather than later._

_Then next one was called; four became three._

'_Hermione Granger.'_


	4. Hermione Granger

'Hello Hermione, if I may call you that,' began Fox with a smile, he made the standard introductions and began his interview. Again his tone was reassuring and almost soothing; he had a way with "grieving" people, especially women who melted at his tongue.

'Where were you between the hours of seven and ten o'clock last night? We know you arrived into the hall at nine thirty so just give us your actions before that. Take as long as you need,' he gave a consoling smile as Hermione sat up straighter, gave a large sniff and cleared her head; she had to answer these questions well – conforming to authority figures was wired into her very being.

'I had been in the library when I heard the message, I said I would just finish off one chapter but I lost track of time and when I finally looked at the clock, it was nearly nine thirty so I made my way to the hall,' her voice was filled with woe but her sentences were clear.

'Didn't the librarian escort you out?'

'No, I was deep in the library and I doubt she remembered me being there.'

'Thank you. Were you and Harry on good terms?'

'Yes,' she said and when Fox expected her to elaborate, she did not. Stone was immediately put on guard by this simple answer – she was either lying or there was more between them than good terms.

'When did you see Harry last?'

'At lunch.'

'Was it just you two?'

'No, Ron was with us.' Stone's eyes flickered over to McGonagall, whose face flashed with confusion for just a moment.

'We have nothing more for you,' put in Stone before Fox could say anymore. 'Thank you for your assistance and if you remember anything more, please don't hesitate to contact us.'

Hermione nodded and left for the room. But just as her hand touched the door handle, Stone asked her one more question.

'What book were you reading?' He asked with a curious smile.

'Binder's Defence for N.E.W.T. students,' she answered rapidly, it rolled off her tongue.

'Oh,' he nodded knowingly. 'How did you find his approach to werewolves?'

'I disagreed... its inhuman,' she replied but a curious expression appeared in her eyes.

'Agreed,' he said with a large smile and nodded her away.

'Professor?' Enquired Stone as soon as the door closed behind Hermione.

'I am not saying that Hermione was lying-,'

'But?'

'When Ron came into the hall last night and I asked whether he had last seen Hermione or Harry,' she took a breath after she said the deceased's name. 'He said he had not seen either of them since breakfast.'

'She's lying,' said Stone and hushed McGonagall before she could say anymore.

'Why?'

'I think that her and the boy were more than just friends.'

'I shall have you know that Ginny, Harry's girlfriend, was her best friend and Harry was like a brother to her.'

'Well,' replied Stone to this statement. 'It seems she was in to incest then.'

As McGonagall left to get Colin, Fox turned to his elder.

'What was that about? About the book.'

'That book does exist but it never looks at wolves.'

'Maybe she just got confused,' suggested Fox.

'She doesn't seem like the type of girl to confuse different books, people or approaches to werewolves, Fox, and anyway, Binder has always been very positive towards wolves... he is a werewolf himself.'

* * *

_Hermione was in the room for such a short time, even Malfoy was in there for longer. That got me worried. Either she had said something and Stone wanted to interview someone else on that point or she had lied and Stone had seen straight through it – he seemed like the kind of man who just knew; he knew what really happened, he knew when you lied and he knew when something was wrong. I liked that._

_But as she passed me, she looked me in the eyes and I could have sworn she mouthed the word "lunch" at me – of course at the time I didn't quite understand and thought I had been seeing things but as time progressed, I knew exactly what she had been implying and asking me to do._

_It was only me, Creepy and Luna left now but it felt less tense now that the crying females and a sly snake had left. All I wanted to do now was to finish my interview, speak to Lavender and punch Creepy in the face – weeping does piss me off._

_There was a small pause between Hermione leaving and calling in the next person. I deducted that Hermione had said something and that Stone wanted to clarify something to a previous person's statement, with Fox or with McGonagall. That certainly didn't help the nerves that I was feeling for Hermione; I would have to speak to her about it later. I didn't want to see her harmed now._

_I caught Luna's eyes and she gave me a beaming smile that comforted my nagging nerves a bit._

_But bloody hell, I just wanted this to all be over._

'_Colin Creevy,' called McGonagall with a stern smile. _

'_I think you mean Creepy,' I muttered as he walked past. _

_And I knew, as he walked past, that we would be waiting a long time before Luna was called in; Creepy probably wouldn't stop crying long enough to give a clear, useable answer. Good luck to Stone and Fox in understanding the bawling child. _


	5. That's Questioning Finished For Now

As soon as Colin stepped into the room, Stone knew they were in for the long haul. So far they had been lucky and the preliminary interviews had been short and sharp and had even gained information that they would be able to check up on. But this looked like a lost cause already.

The young boy looked weak with tears – Stone instantly knew that they weren't for show but that didn't mean the boy was innocent. The stab wounds came from below and Colin was smaller in build and height than Harry; Stone betted that the boy was susceptible to powerful emotions so his anger could easily give him the strength to murder.  
You always had to watch the quiet ones.

Fox again took this interview; he was better with emotional people than Stone, who was more the yell-until-they-tell-the-truth kind of guy.

Fox was gentle with his questions, again giving him the ones everyone had had before. But Colin took everything to heart and assumed they thought he murdered Harry, which just made him more hysterical and more difficult to work with.

In the end, Stone just decided to let the boy go and McGonagall led him away; he said he would interview Luna next.

To conclude, all they had learnt from that waste of forty-five minutes was that Colin loved Harry and would never hurt him. Colin was still a suspect and looking good for it at that.

Sprout was sent for and as soon as she arrived, Luna skipped in.

'Hello,' Stone, bored of just watching, decided he would take this one and the girl in front of him didn't look like she was going to burst into tears at any given second.

'Hello,' she smiled back and nodded and even introduced herself as Stone explained who they were.

'You found the body?' She nodded and smiled. 'Could you tell me why you decided to turn down that corridor? It's off the main hall and there's nothing really there.'

'I just knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong with Harry; the mizzlebiz were far too quiet,' Stone didn't dare ask what a whatever-it-was actually was. The professor next to her just shook her head with a small smile; this must be the norm with this girl.

'Did you know Harry well?'

'Yes. But I know now that he is safe from harm and can be with his parents – he always wanted that.'

'Did Harry have any enemies?' That question had been lacking from the previous interviews because Stone knew he would just get a bias, unhelpful answer – Malfoy would have said nothing, the two girls would have said Slytherin and Malfoy, and the boy would have just burst into tears.

'Voldemort?' She volunteered. Then a, rather large, idea hit Stone; they had taken the assumption that the culprit came from inside the walls of Hogwarts but if this was a death eater hit, than this was all a waste of time. But then his mind told him that this looked nothing like a death eater death and his subconscious knew this came from inside the school.

'I don't think we've got anything more to ask you but we might think of something later. And remember, if you think of anything, feel free to come and talk to us about it.'

Luna bid them a cheerful farewell and left with Sprout trailing behind.

'Get one of the lads to check the perimeter charms; something could have got in from the outside.'

'You sound doubtful sir?'

'I am Fox, I think, I pretty sure, it's one of these students,' Fox nodded in agreement but still sent a note off with the order.

'Hopefully, Ronald – was it?' Fox nodded. 'Should be able to give us some help with all of this, let's get him over with. I know he wants to go and speak to that girl gossip of his.'

And with that, Stone left his chair and walked to the door.

* * *

_Luna wasn't that long but she probably had fewer questions to answer than anyone else. And her answers would probably be comprised of random creatures that no one else knew of. _

_I looked across the chairs that now sat empty besides me and towards the one male auror that was left. The female one had departed with Hermione._

_Which reminded me of that strange "lunch" suggestion, maybe she was just hungry? Nah, that was me. Suddenly, my stomach gave a large growl at its starvation state – it had only had two slices of toast this morning._

'_Bloody hell... sorry,' I whispered to the lone auror, who gave a small smile and nod to me. Seems like a nice bloke._

'_Ronald Weasley,' called Stone with a smile. 'Off you pop Skinner and keep your hands on the job and not female students,' with a cheeky laugh, the male auror left his post. Yep, I definitely like the sound of Skinner, my sort of guy._

_Stone made the introductions and I had a strange feeling of déjà vu but, of course, McGonagall didn't know that we'd met when she had left._

'_We know where you were between seven and ten but just recount to us what happened and if you noticed anything,' Stone asked in an even tone._

'_I was late to the hall as I'm a prefect and I was just checking that everyone had left the common room and their dorms, well the blokes anyway. And when I was sure that everyone had left, I made my way to the hall. I saw Ginny making her way in the direction of the common room but I knew she wouldn't do anything she shouldn't. I knew she would turn up to the hall. Maybe I should have stopped her...?' I gave my answer as I looked into Stone's eyes. _

'_No, that's completely understandable. She's your sister, you trust her,' Fox added in before Stone asked his next question._

'_Now Ron, I want you to answer this unbiased and neutral, if you can; did Harry have any enemies?' I contemplated his words before I spoke; I knew he wasn't asking generally._

'_My first thought would be Draco Malfoy and Slytherin but they didn't hate him enough to kill him, they just didn't like him or what he stood for and, to be honest, I highly doubt that Malfoy could ever kill anyone – he'd just get someone else to do it for him,' Stone nodded in agreement; he knew what the Malfoys were like. 'I 'spose what you really want is for me to go through the suspects?' I said with a small laugh and Stone nodded. 'Hermione got on really well with Harry, she always has; they were friends before I was friends with her. I think she got on better with Harry then me,' which was completely what I thought; I had always been the third wheel._

'_Were they more than friends?'_

'_I've always suspected that there was something there but when Harry started dating Ginny I thought nothing of it...,' I let my sentence trail off, knowing one of them would prompt me to continue. _

'_But?' Said Fox, knowing there was more._

'_I did hear, from Lavender,'_

'_Ron, Lavender Brown is a complete and utter gossip and I would not trust a word she has to say!' Exclaimed McGonagall before I could say anymore._

'_These rumours have to spring from somewhere,' I retorted in reply, my tone almost defending Lavender; she wasn't as bad and bitchy as everyone made out. 'I heard that one of them was cheating and it certainly wasn't Ginny, she was far too in love with him to even think about kissing another guy. And there had been rumours of Harry and Cho getting together before he asked my sister out.'_

'_This relates to Hermione how?'_

'_I'm getting there! But Lavender protested that it wasn't Cho but Hermione,' I didn't want to land Hermione in it but I wanted, needed, to help these detectives out as much as I possibly could and telling them what I had heard could help. And as if Hermione would have anything to hide. 'And they would go off together without me and give each other these knowing looks, which could have been totally innocent but I just got the feeling they weren't.'_

'_So Ginny could have known?'_

'_No, she never would have believed anything like that. She was so wrapped up in Harry. I remember someone suggested it and she laughed her head off at it and I think if Harry was confronted about it, he could lie his way out of it easily. He was a good liar.'_

'_Colin Creevy?'_

'_Colin Creepy more like,' I smiled and Fox gave a small laugh, secretly agreeing with the nickname I invented, McGonagall just tutted but I think she agreed. 'He was obsessed with Harry, followed him everywhere; we even caught him hiding in Harry's trunk once! He would just creep up on us and you would never hear him coming or see where he had come from. Do I think he could do it? He looks weak but I think his passion could give him strength. But I mean, he really loved Harry – not in a gay way... maybe he was,' I shrugged, I hadn't thought of it like that before. 'But I think he couldn't do that but that's just me.'_

'_And yourself?' Asked Stone with a smirk._

'_Me, eh?' I smiled at the older man. Cheeky bastard. 'Harry was my best mate but he was dating my sister and some people say he was cheating on her. But I wouldn't kill him for that, yell and punch him? Sure but I would do it in front of a crowd. And anyway that was Malfoy's knife and apparently due to the knife angles, or something like that, the murderer has to be shorter or the same height as Harry and I'm nowhere near that short. And I have an alibi for seven onwards as I was in the hall,' I noticed that Stone's gaze had turned nearly confused. 'The angle thingy? Lavender,' I laughed and Stone nodded; I knew now he would really want me to speak to her. I think he, when he had spoken to me privately, was willing me to investigate myself. And I decided then that I would, with Lavender's help. _

'_When did you last see Harry?' Stone asked but I caught a strange flash in Stone's eyes, like he was expecting one and only one answer from me._

_So that was where "lunch" fitted in. I had a split second decision to make. Lie or tell the truth?_

'_I ate with him, and Hermione, at,' Stone unconsciously lent forward. 'Breakfast but I did spot him at lunch.'_

'_Thank you. And when did you last see his cloak?'_

'_Bloody hell!' I gave a reminiscent smile. 'Err, not since the summer holidays I would say but Harry always kept it near to him.'_

'_Is there anything more that you need of me?' I asked as me and McGonagall stood to leave._

'_Not at the moment,' put in Fox even though I had directed my question at Stone._

'_Leave the investigating to us,' Stone added but when McGonagall turned to walk away, I caught Stone smirking at me. He winked confidently and I nodded in return._

_I was going to find the truth and no one was going to stop me._

_Well, I might stop for food first... _


	6. Hello Goodbye

Ron sat as content as he could be in the kitchens, having wolfed down anything and everything the elves had placed down in front of him; grieving made him hungry more so than usual.

He allowed himself to cry tears for his lost friend as he sat amidst the working elves, every now and then one would pat him and try to say a few consoling words. Ron really was their favourite student and they hated to see their precious master sad.

After an hour or so, Ron gave a large sniff and took an offered tissue from an elf.

'Thanks,' he said, his voice still slightly choked by sadness but nevertheless he had work to do; he had to solve this mystery. 'Could someone locate Lavender Brown for me?' He asked to the whole kitchen, one elf piped up and in a few seconds Ron had his answer.

'The Gryffindor common room, Ron,' she answered with a smile, Ron being the only person they respected enough to use his first name and not the general "master" appellation. Ron thanked the elves once again and made his way through secret passages that he knew so well to his own common room.

He didn't want to see people; they would try and comfort him and that wouldn't help, it would just make him more upset and remember and right at this moment, he wanted to work and not grieve; crying wouldn't sort out this mess.

Luckily, there were only a few students, mostly first years, in the common room. As soon as the portrait hole swung open, Lavender instinctively looked up from painting her nails and saw Ron swiftly walking towards her.

She gave him a hug, trying not to ruin her nails, and he hugged her tightly back.

'I haven't got anything more for you at the moment Ron, they haven't found anything,' she said as soon as they both sat down.

'Lavender,' he said in a shocked mock tone. 'I am not here to use you like that!' She gave a small smirk towards him.

'Then what?'

'How are you?'

'Oh Ron, fuck off, we both know you only come to me when you want something,' Ron could hear the joke tone to her voice but it still hurt him; his eyes only, for a second, showed his true emotions but Lavender could read people as good as she could apply makeup. 'Oh, Hunnie I didn't mean it like that and you know it,' she gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Ron felt the spot where she kissed him burn and his ears blushed. 'But seriously, what do you want?'

'You.'

'Oh Ronnie! Not here,' she giggled and smacked his arm playfully. Ron's burned a dangerous red and he looked away from her.

'I didn't mean it like that!' He exclaimed and Lavender just laughed. 'I mean, I need you to help me,' Lavender went to interrupt but Ron hushed her. 'I need to find out who did this and I think the detectives-,'

'Jack Stone and Taffy Fox,' she butted in but said nothing more, not looking up from her painting.

'Want me to do some digging of my own. Lav, a lot of people don't trust you but I do and I know you would help me. I cannot ask anyone else and I know you'll be good at this sort of thing, you know people. Please, I beg,'

'I wondered when you were going to ask me,' she smiled at Ron and he looked confused. 'Oh come on! As if you weren't going to do some detecting of your own and you can't exactly ask Hermione. I am the only one,' she announced with pride. 'I've already started.'

'What?' Ron raised an eyebrow.

'While you were comfort eating in the kitchen-,'

'How-,'

'Shush Ronnie, Lav's talking,' she hushed him and delicately, without spoiling her freshly painted nails, pulled out a notebook from under a nearby cushion. 'Have begun compiling the evidence so far, lookie,' she edged it towards Ron, who picked it up and looked inside its leather pink cover.

_1. Hermione Granger_

_2. Ginny Weasley_

_3. Draco Malfoy_

_4. Colin Creevy_

_5. Ronald Weasley_

Ron's name was the last on the list and, to his relief, crossed out.

'I've listed who it could be and well, that's all I've done so far,' she smiled brightly at Ron.

'Who do you think it was Lavender?' He asked her.

'Now,' she tapped the side of her nose and winked slyly. 'That would be telling.'

* * *

'The knife had two sets of prints on it and we detected a cleaning spell was used on it, quite a high level one actually and we can't trace it back to a wand it's that good,' said Fox as he tapped is finger down the list in his notebook. He and Stone sat in the small room they had taken as their own for the duration of their stay at Hogwarts. Their separate desks sat at the head of the room, furthest from the door, and facing them in rows were double desks for the other witches and wizard pulled in to help. 'Due to the victim of this crime being who he is, we've kept it from the press for the time being but it's not going to be long until something leaks out and we're screwed.'

'And not in a good way,' muttered Stone as he listened to Fox, so far nothing the boy had to say to him was of any surprise or significance.

'Also, we've had the report from Doc back and nothing came back that he hadn't already said to us. Waite checked the perimeter charms as you asked, sir, and none were broken and even Dumbledore said that nothing came in or out at the time of the murder. We even did back checks and nothing came up that shouldn't have. Stevens and Wright have come back with, well sir, nothing – they talked to this Brown girl Weasley talked about and she just talked about people that were nothing to do with the case and when they asked her, she just shrugged and said she knew nothing,' Stone gave a laugh. 'What's so funny sir?'

'The boy's already gotten her. Ron works fast... well looking at that Brown girl, I would too,' he gave a deep chuckle. 'She's not saying nowt because she's working with Ron and doesn't want to give anything away to us,' Stone waved his hand in the general direction of Fox. 'Tell the boys to pack it in and talk to the professors about our suspects or something that might be of actual use to us.'

'Anything else sir?'

'No, not of the moment. When's the funeral?'

'Dumbledore wants to get it done before the press hear and swamp it.'

'I said "when", Fox?'

'Tomorrow sir.'

'Well, I think it would be best if we also paid our respects to the boy... let's see how our suspects react. One of them fuckers is guilty of putting him six feet under and I'll be damned if they don't show some ounce of guilt.'

* * *

_I was surprised that the funeral was so soon but I was glad too. I could mourn for my best friend and then find out the truth. That's what Harry would have wanted, he was always the action kind-of-guy._

_Mum arrived in the morning and I was glad to be in her arms again; she smelt like the Burrow, she smelt like home and there was nothing that I wouldn't give to be back there with all of family (okay, maybe minus the twins) and my friends again. _

_The whole school stood in the Great Hall with added extras from our previous adventures, even Lockhart stood at the back – I guilty said hello and asked if he was well, his carer said he was. I saw Stone and Fox partly hiding in one of the back corners and I knew that they weren't there to mourn but to work. I liked that spirit._

_Hermione shuffled to the front with me by her side and I held Ginny's hand as we walked past all of the isles to the front row. I saw Lavender nod at me and I noticed how stylish and rather sexy (well I know it was a funeral and all but come on, I'm a teenage bloke, what do you expect me to say?) she looked in her tight little black dress. Harry would understand, he would approve._

_Dumbledore said a few words and McGonagall did too. Everyone seemed upset at his passing but part of me was annoyed; nearly none of them had actually _known _him, they just knew him as the boy-who-lived and Voldemort's nemesis – oh bloody hell, I'd forgotten about all of that mess, who was going to kill him now?_

_Then it was my turn; Dumbledore had asked me to say a bit and to be honest, I had been shitting myself about it. I had tried to plan a funny and light-hearted speech but the only one I had ever had planned was Harry's best man's speech for when he married my sister – even I knew that would have been coming. And, like ever, I hadn't prepared and as I walked up the stand, I had absolutely nothing to say whatsoever. Sorry mate but I know you'll understand._

_I gave a small cough and looked out onto the crowd, some smiled comfortingly at me and some – cough, Slytherins – looked as bored as me in potions. They were almost willingly me to mess up just for a cheap laugh._

_I looked to the coffin next to me, I shuddered and suddenly I was hit, not literally, by the fact that my best friend was really dead. This wasn't some prank by the Twins, this was real. _

_Harry Potter was Dead.  
And nothing I could ever do would ever change that. _

_Bloody hell, not even I could provide comic relief now._

'_Like every other time in my life, I am not prepared,' I gave a small laugh and kept my gaze on Harry's coffin. 'I don't know what you really say at times like this because I never expected to be doing anything like this, the only speech I ever had ready for Harry was when I was his best man and I think you can understand that I can't really use that one now... think I'd get thrown off. Harry was my best friend and I know that no one will ever replace him. He had his moments, hey every child saviour does, but he always protected me and the ones he loved. He was the greatest student this school has ever known and I don't know what the Quidditch team are going to do now,' a small laugh rippled around the hall. 'And as I look out into this crowd now,' I finally took my eyes away. 'I know that most of you had never exchanged a word with Harry in your life but I know that you all respected and believed in what he did and tried to do. He taught me so much, he made me fight my fears and he helped me in ways that he will never know. Now who else is going to save me from Hermione's moaning?' I think even Hermione smiled then. 'He showed us all that everyone, no matter how small, can be a hero and can fight for the right,' and I heard someone yell "to party" – probably one of the twins. I gave a small laugh at that. 'Bloody hell, mate,' I turned and faced his coffin, placing a caring hand on the cold wood. 'I love you,' a single tear fell down my cheek. 'I will _never _forget you and everything you have done for me,' I stepped off the podium and whispered. _

'_Goodbye.'_


	7. Sleeping Beauties

'That was a nice speech you gave there, son,' Ron felt a strong hand grip his shoulder and he turned his head to see Stone half-smiling at him.

'I saw you at the back,' he said and turned his head back to watch people mill around the hall; light food was laid on tables and huge pictures of Harry happy and smiling plastered the walls. They even had a small Harry shrine at the front with various notes and floating candles surrounding it, at the moment Hermione stood in front of it, silently crying and placing her own sealed note down. Stone just grunted and left Ron alone so that he could mingle with the students and hear what they were really thinking; funerals may be the time for mourning but it also seemed to be a great time for people to bitch about the deceased. The dead weren't going to be able to retort back or even hear what everyone else really thought and said about them.

'Oh Ronnie!'

No sooner had Stone left that his mother appeared from, seemingly, nowhere and pulled him into a tight embrace; they hadn't spoken to each other properly since they had arrived. Neither said anything; they just held each other, Ron inhaling his mother's unique, homey, comforting smell. There was no place he wanted to be more right now than his childhood home, curled up under his own blankets in his own bed. There he could feel truly safe and secure from all of this.

'Alright Mum?' He said with a sad smile on his face, he could tell she had been weeping hard but she gave him a strong smile.

'Bill and Charlie came,' she said, knowing the news of his two oldest brothers may help to cheer him up slightly. Ron gave a genuine smile and offered his arm so that they could find them. Molly just took Ron's arm and said nothing more on his best friend's death, everyone coped with bereavement in different ways and she knew that when Ron wanted to talk and cry he would but she knew that until Harry's killer was caught, her youngest son would never be able to except that Harry was gone forever. Until then he would pent up his emotions which wouldn't help him at all or make him feel any better... maybe she could have a word with one of his dorm mates and see if they could get him to talk. Normally she would have gone to Harry but now she couldn't, she wouldn't be able to.  
To her, it was like losing one of her own sons but she had to be strong for her family and those around her – she was Molly Weasley.

Many people turned their heads and stared at Ron as he walked past them with his Mum: some wanted to say something but couldn't find the words; some gave a nod in acknowledgement; some tried a smile; some whispered "sorry"; and some just wanted to stare.

They quickly found the two brothers and Ron began talking to them, avoiding the very reason they were here; he didn't even talk about Hogwarts to them. Molly found this the perfect opportunity to slip off and find another friend of Ron's; she knew he had them even if she had never really met them. Luckily, Ginny seemed to be talking to three boys who looked Ron's age and she instantly recognised Neville Longbottom, who she knew shared a room with Ron.

She tacitly told Ginny of Bill's and Charlie's arrival and she left swiftly to find her older brothers.

'Hello, I'm Molly, Ron and Ginny's mother,' she said, her tone motherly and openly warming. All three boys introduced themselves politely yet didn't really know what to say after that but Molly had the conversation covered. She was used to speaking _at_ teenage boys, actually talking at any males of any age.

'I'm sure you have all noticed that Ron hasn't really shown much emotion yet,' she shook her head and the boys nodded. 'I think that's how he's going to deal with all of this by shutting it up and hoping it goes away... that's what he did when his Uncle Rufus died. But I know that you boys will want to help him and be there to look after him in his time of need, we all know Ron would do the exact same thing for you. Please, just try and get him to talk or even say something about Harry, I know that talking about it with you would really help him,' Seamus, Dean and Neville all listened intently and all agreed to undertake the unspoken order, she gave them a bear hug each and left the friends to talk amongst themselves.

'MILF,' announced Seamus as soon as he saw her figure fade away in the crowd.

'Merlin, Seamus! This is a funeral, Harry's funeral,' gasped Neville in pure shock horror, Seamus shrugged; Harry wouldn't care, he'd understand – well, maybe not about Molly Weasley but he would understand talking about women in such a _respectful _way.

'I really can't see it,' said Dean shaking his head. 'But Malfoy's mother on the other hand...,' he left the sentence hanging but Neville and Seamus both knew what he was suggesting.

Seamus gave a small nod in agreement and Neville just hung his large head in shame before promptly leaving the other two in case they begun to talk of more inappropriate and immature things. Which, being teenage boys, didn't take long.

* * *

'I thought I saw you slip out,' smiled a sweet voice and, for the second time in that short day, Ron felt a hand on his shoulder but this touch was light, lingering and loving. He didn't have to look around to know who it was.

'Hey Lavender, sit down,' he patted a spot of dry earth beside him. He was sitting opposite the lake just thinking to himself, nevertheless he didn't mind Lavender joining him, she was never bad company. When he felt Lavender shudder beside him, he took of his black suit jacket and placed it over her shoulders and put a long arm around her, pulling her in closer. 'Better?' She just nodded.

They sat in amicable silence for a few minutes before Lavender spoke gently.

'You can always talk to me, you know that? I may not be able to keep secrets that well but I would take yours, Ronnie, to my grave and beyond,' she whispered, sincerity laced her voice and Ron knew she was telling the truth. She rested her head on his chest, his shoulders being too far away.

'I don't think I can talk about it to anyone at the moment but when I do, Lav, you'll be the first one I come to,' he felt her smile into his chest. 'Did you see Hermione in there?' He asked, changing the subject away from him; he felt her nod her head faintly.

'She wouldn't talk to anyone and she left before you, I saw Ginny follow her out,' trust Lavender to see what happened. 'She's really taking this hard. I don't think she's stopped crying since she found out and I know she hasn't slept, we just hear her crying at night,' Ron knew Lavender would have rolled her eyes at the last sentence; how dare someone stop her from getting her full night of beauty sleep – good old Lavender, predictable and funny in her own little ways.

'I haven't spoken to her since, well, you know what and I just don't know what to say but I have been meaning to talk to her.'

'Ron, what have you found out?' Lavender noticed the hint of an ulterior motive in Ron's voice. Ron dithered on whether to tell Lavender what had happened after Hermione's interview but then decided it couldn't hurt and maybe she would know what to do about it.

'After she came out of her interview,' he paused while Lavender shuffled about and finally laid her head down in his lap, placing his jacket over herself like a blanket; he unconsciously began to stroke his hands through her silky blonde hair. 'She looked at me and mouthed the word "lunch" and then when I was in my interview I realised that she wanted me to say that I had last seen her and Harry at lunch and not at breakfast when I really had... I told them I had spotted them at lunch and sat with them at breakfast.'

'Hmm, we'll have to find out about this lunch, something must have happened... I'll see what I can dig up. Someone must have seen them that lunch and started telling their friends,' Ron could almost sense her brain whirling with ideas as to what had happened. 'Anything else interesting that you have neglected to tell your partner in crime?'

'No.'

'Ronnie?' She drawled. She knew there was more.

'Bloody hell Lav! It's not interesting, more of an idea I had-,'

'Spill,' she ordered sharply.

'I don't think Malfoy's the killer,' he felt Lavender give a slight laugh as he kept on looking out over the lake. 'What?'

'As if Draco Malfoy could ever kill anyone, he couldn't hurt a fly unless someone did it for him, carry on.'

'Well I thought that we could sort of get him to help us, since he's probably everyone's main suspect and he'll want to clear his name,' Lavender took over the train of thought.

'And everyone knows that Slytherin knows every little thing that goes on in Hogwarts and he's like the self-appointed Prince of Slytherin. I think Slytherin even know more than me.'

'So we'll see if he fancies telling us anything,' Ron didn't particularly want to work with a Slytherin, especially Malfoy, but if it helped to get the truth than he was all for trying. It couldn't do any more harm than good.

'Maybe, we should wait a bit and see if the detectives come up with anything more and I've sort of got a friend in Slytherin, purely gossip related you understand,' she added in a business tone, not wanting to suggest that she, as a loyal Gryffindor female, was actually a friend of a Slytherin _whore_. 'And she might be able to shed some light onto this before we actually admit and tell Malfoy that we do actually need his help,' Ron murmured his agreement.

The couple sat in silence before Ron finally realised Lavender had fallen asleep in his lap. He gently, not wanting to wake her, picked her up in his arms. Making sure he kept the jacket over her, he quietly carried her back into the tranquil castle.

* * *

_I slept in later than I probably should have considering I actually wanted to do things today. I had put Lavender in my bed, not being able to get into her dorm and part of me just couldn't put her in Harry's empty bed – it just felt too wrong and far too soon. But when I finally opened my sleepy eyes, she had gone and the only people in the dorm were my dorm mates, who were still all fast asleep and unlikely to stir for a few more hours – lazy bastards._

_But there was a small note on my bedside table, it was folded and in neat, curly, girly handwriting was written "Ronnie" on the front. As I picked it up, I got a strong whiff of Lavender (or in reality her favourite perfume) and opened it:_

Hello sleepy head, I'm going off to speak to that _friend_ of mine, hopefully she'll have something to say to me. I'll see you at dinner, guessing you won't be up for lunch, and tell you anything then. Try and talk to Hermione today, she's probably in the library or just ask Padma or Arti (Parvati, you idiot!), they will know. I think she needs you more than you realise. See you later, hunny bun. Thanks for letting me sleep with you, Lav xx

_I noticed that all of her "i"s were crossed with small kisses "x" instead of traditional dots – I couldn't think of anything more Lavender-y._

_I agreed to do as she wished as I knew I would have to do it sometime._

_I had a quick cold shower and got myself dressed, knowing that there was more chance of waking the dead than my dorm mates._

_As I rushed down the staircase to the common room, I suddenly saw that it wouldn't take me long to find Hermione; she was curled up in a dark corner of the common room with a large book – nothing would ever stop her reading.  
Luckily for us, there was one a few scattered first and second years around._

'_Hello 'Mione,' I whispered gently, not wanting to spook or annoy her but she just looked up and gave me a tearful smile. 'Oh, come here,' she quickly pushed the book from her lap and jumped into my embrace. I hushed her as she cried and sat down with her sitting on my lap, her arms hugging my neck like a small child._

_At one point, I thought she was never going to stop crying but then she gave a large sniff and, pulling a clean tissue from her pocket, looked at me and smiled._

'_Thanks Ron,' it was the first time I had actually heard her speak since we both found the body and it seemed different. It was more hoarse and ill sounding, it was the voice of a broken woman; I didn't like it, it wasn't right. Harry would have hated to see her like this but I couldn't bring myself at that moment to tell her that – it wouldn't be right and she would probably just start crying all over again and I couldn't bear to see her in tears again. _

'_Any time,' I give her the strongest smile I can and shuffle her into a more comfortable position for me but she still stays on my lap, her head buried into my chest and my chin rested on her soft, bushy, brown hair. ''Mione,' I start but she knows what I'm going to say and answers honestly._

'_It's been terrible Ron, I haven't slept since, since,' she took a long pause but, to my relief, didn't start crying again. 'I just can't get his eyes out of my head,' I gently nodded – Harry's eyes had been haunting me too. 'I wish I'd said so many things that I can't, won't ever be able to tell him... I wanted to tell him that I-I,' I knew what she was going to say and finished it questioningly for her._

'_Loved him?' I asked. She gave a small nod and a few tears trickled down her cheeks, dampening my shirt some more but I didn't care; if it made her feel better, I didn't care what state my shirt got into. ''Mione, Harry was my best friend in the world and I know – look at me,' I pulled her up and made her look me in the eyes. 'I know that it would torture him to see you like this, to see you crying, he would want you to celebrate his life and all of the wonderful times you ever had together and not to be sad about his death. Bloody hell, please, for Harry's sake and for mine 'Mione, stop being like this! If you can't sleep, come to me no matter when, I'll protect you from any nightmares,' I gave her the biggest and most caring smile I could and placed a small kiss on her forehead. I knew she understood what I wanted her to do. She gave me a weak smile back – I wondered then if I would ever see her truly smile again – and returned to bury her head in my neck. I didn't mind it and I knew she would be happy there. _

'_None of this was your fault so stop acting like it was,' I added with a small chuckle but, to my surprise, she said or did nothing in reply to my statement. _

_And for the second time in a short space of time, I had another girl asleep on me. Extremely gently, I made myself even more comfortable and let Hermione sleep deeply – Merlin knew she needed it. I stroked her hair softly and let myself organise all of my own thoughts of my time with Harry and watched them flick through my mind like a muggle film._

_Bloody hell Harry, why did you have to get yourself killed? _


	8. Murder Creates Allies

This is for DREAMSandLOVE :D

* * *

Ron wolfed down dinner with extra vigour than usual; his talk with Hermione had made him remember Harry, it had made him mourn more. Mourning made Ron hungry more so than usual. He had been at Gryffindor table as soon as dinner had started and was still there as people left to carry on their lazy Sunday evening. He spoke only when he had to and those friends around him understood what he was doing; they thought they knew Ron well.

There were only a few scattered students left now and one professor sat at their table on watch.

'Hello Ronnie,' said Lavender sweetly, Ron looked up and smiled. He had been so consumed by the food that he hadn't heard her approach. She sat directly opposite him and chose a few small items of food before she began talking. 'How did it go with Hermione?'

Ron was unsure what to tell her but he knew he would have to say something and knowing Lavender she would know if he was telling the truth and if he wasn't, he could guarantee that she would find out. So after a second or two of thought, he told Lavender what had happened through mouthfuls of food.

She grimaced. 'Poor you,' she shook her head as she took a bite from a roast potato. Ron had been expecting her to empathise with Hermione; there were moments when he felt he didn't know Lavender at all. She was as sly as a Slytherin.

'Did you find anything out?' He asked before Lavender could push for more. She nodded and finished off her crispy potato before she spoke.

'On the actual crime, She said that the pathologist can be more precise that seven and ten; he says it was more likely between 8 and 9 – so again Malfoy is ruled out. To do with suspects; She said that Hermione and Harry had been together at lunch _alone_ and apparently it had started well but ended with a bit of a fight,' her tone suggested she desperately wished she had been there. 'But the bitch wouldn't say anymore,' her insult was more friendly than malicious. 'She doesn't, at the moment, know where Colin was and he didn't tell the detectives much and Ginny's whereabouts are still in the dark, she said she fell asleep,' Lavender's voice said she thought that was a rubbish excuse. 'Annnd, it may have seemed all rosy but She heard that Ginny and Harry hadn't been getting on so well and their last date ended in tears... Harry's to be precise!' Lavender ate a couple of carrot sticks before carrying on. 'She also wouldn't say anything about Malfoy, except that he didn't do it, but he's been all stressed out and yelling at anyone when he gets the chance, apparently not even Goyle or Crabbe are talking to him at the moment, he's being that annoying. So she agrees that he might want to help us find out who it is, She'll find out more for me,' Lavender finished her report with a smile and carried on daintily eating.

'Thanks Lav,' Ron smiled and allowed his brain to logically store what he had heard. '_She_ sounds like a good person to know...,' he left his sentence hanging; Lavender would understand what he wanted to know.

'I am not telling you who it is!'

'Why not? I've told you everything I can and I just want to know one, little name!' He almost pleaded with her, he was curious to see who Lavender was friendly with in Slytherin; all he knew was that the informant was female, Slytherin and probably close to Malfoy. He could think of one logical answer to these clues but wanted to be sure.

She shook her head.

'Oh Lav! How about I say a name and you can just nod or shake your head? That way, strictly speaking, you're not _actually_ telling me... more showing,' he gave her his infamous, drop-dead gorgeous lopsided smile and she melted with a roll of her eyes.

'Okay,' her tone was reluctant but inside she wanted to tell Ron, she loved telling people things they didn't know – it gave her some knowledge and a certain amount of power that she didn't really have in the academic classroom. Lavender believed it was more _who_ you knew that _what _you knew anyway and there weren't many people that Lavender didn't know.

'Pansy Parkinson,' Lavender's eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open, luckily she had just swallowed her food.

'How?' Ron just winked and tapped his nose. 'You better not be stalking me Ronald Weasley,' she scolded mockingly and Ron chuckled.

'Hey little bro,' came a deep voice and the couple were interrupted.

'Hello Charlie,' smiled Ron as Charlie sat next to him. 'This is Lavender Brown,' she gave a flirty smile and Charlie kissed her hand.

'You didn't tell me you had a beautiful girlfriend,' he smiled cheekily as he pulled food onto his plate; Lavender gave the most girly giggle she could, leant over and playfully slapped Charlie on the arm.

'I'm not his girlfriend.'

'Good to know,' winked Charlie and she giggled again. Ron just shook his head; typical Charlie. Lavender bid goodbye, knowing the brothers would probably prefer being alone, and sauntered off, Charlie watching her arse as it swayed away.

'Cor, she ain't bad,' he smirked as she left.

'Bloody hell, Charlie! She's a good friend.'

'With benefits?' He winked and nudged his younger brother teasingly.

'No,' Ron insisted as the tops of his ears burned a blood red.

'Why the fuck not?' Charlie chuckled.

* * *

_I point blank refused to go to the dungeons or be seen anywhere near them, I still had my dignity. But Pansy, apparently, owed Lavender something and managed to get Draco away from the dungeons and into an empty classroom. Probably on the premise of some "fun" – well that's what I thought she would have said. But hey, you never know..._

'_Okay Ronnie, we'll leave you here and pick you and ferret up in say an hour?'_

'_An hour?!'_

'_Okay, okay, okay half an hour,' poked in Pansy, who was hanging around the doorway, on the watch for Draco._

'_Half an hour?!'_

'_Fifteen minutes?' Lavender looked at Pansy who nodded. 'Just don't go killing each other,' she gave me a sickly sweet smile and giggled off with Pansy – bitches._

_Malfoy's face was a picture.  
It was even better than that time that he got turned into a ferret. Even bloody better!_

_He swaggered in, thinking he was about to get laid, and then oh no! Instead of Pansy Parkinson standing there it was the lovely me!  
I am so much hotter than Pansy bloody Parkinson. I don't know what he was complaining about! _

_But as soon as he stepped into the classroom, the door slammed shut behind him and the charms all fell into place. _

_No one would be able to hear him scream now!_

'_Why hello Malfoy,' I gave him the sexiest wink I could and I think I saw him smile... or was that a cringe?_

'_You're not Pansy,' was all he could say._

'_What!' I exclaimed and felt down my body in mock shock. 'No, I'm Pansy,' for a second I think his little mind though I actually was. 'No, you moron, I'm Ronald Weasley,' I shot him a "you-really-are-dumb" look and sighed. _

_He stuck his nose up and went to open the door but it wouldn't open. While he tried to barge his way out, I began to talk._

'_There's no other way to say this Malfoy, Draco I should probably call you now, we are in griffin shit. And the only way we can get out of this is if we work together, I know I don't want to either, but unless we find out who did this, we are seriously screwed and everyone will think we did it until the day we die. I don't think it was you so I need your help and Slytherin knowledge to find out who it was – bloody hell! Are you even listening?' I raised my voice and finally Draco seemed to be silent, he slumped down against the door. His head hung down for a few minutes and then he looked across the room to me._

'_I did _not_ fucking do this, do you hear me. Don't try and-,'_

'_Bloody hell, if you'd been listening you would have heard me say that I don't think you did it!' His eyes widened in shock and he tried to stutter out some kind of answer but I quickly hushed him. I walked closer and knelt down in front of his huddled figure – I knew I had to be gentle here... for once I thought Draco was actually, in truth, minus all of the Slytherin facade, just scared and nervous. If I was too forceful here, I would lose an ally that I probably need more than I knew or wanted to know._

'_I need your help,' I dropped my voice to a whisper. 'I know you didn't do it and no, before you ask, I didn't either. I need your help to find out who did it. I don't think that Ginny or Hermione did it but they are the only ones who could have... I need your bias to counteract my own – or maybe it'll be Creepy and we can all be happy,' I gave a weary smile. 'You are basically the head of Slytherin; you know what happens in this school more than any Gryffindor gossip could ever dream of knowing. I know that you can find out where those girls were and where Creepy was since no one seems to know. I need you,' I stressed the fact that _I _needed _him_. He seemed to sit up a little straight, which I think was good, and he looked me in the eyes just to see if I telling the truth. He found what he was looking for._

_He just nodded at me._

'_I need information on whereabouts. I've sort of got the basics but I need details. Together we can find out who did this and get out names cleared quickly. The detectives aren't going to get anywhere because they are not on the inside, they don't truly know us... they never will.' Again he nodded. 'I think I've got the gist of motives from everyone.'_

'_Tell me,' his cold voice almost ordered me. I outlined what Lavender, or should that really be Pansy, had gained in her gossiping. He nodded along as I spoke, when I finished he moved himself and I stepped back to let him have space._

_He sighed and looked at me._

'_I shall see what I can do for you,'_

'_For us, I think you mean,' I gave him my lop-sided smile (which never failed to work its charm) and it didn't disappoint. He gave me a look that seemed to almost be a smile. 'You can just owl me when you've got anything of use, you don't have to be seen talking to me if you don't wish to. But hey, if you find out who the killer is, tell someone – we don't want you getting bumped off next,' I added with a wink and he actually gave me a tiny smile._

_And to my surprise, he offered me his hand._

_I shook it probably tighter than a friendly hand shake needed but he was still a Malfoy and a Slytherin even if he was now helping me and was not my best friend's murderer. _

_And on time, Lavender's head popped around the door, a cheeky smile on her face._

'_I do hope I'm not interrupting anything, boys,' and I heard, who I guess, Pansy giggling from behind her. Draco headed out but shot me a look as he went and a small nod._

'_Why didn't you introduce me to your new boyfriend?' She laughed and walked over to me when Pansy left after Draco, shutting the classroom door. She gave me a playful slap on the arm and linked my arm through hers._

'_Come on, Hunnie, classrooms give me rash.'_


	9. Fresh Death

Ron saw Lavender the next morning with a sweet smile on her face.

'Hey, sleep alright?' He asked politely as she chose to sit down beside him, the rest of Ron's dorm mates acknowledged her with a wave and smile.

'Yeah, better than I have been,' when Ron gave her a quizzical look, she continued. 'Hermione hasn't been sleeping too well; she's been having the worst nightmares that I swear have been keeping the Gryffindor girls up. Us dorm girls have tried to sort her out but she just wasn't having any of it. Anyways, Pav spoke to Madam Pomfrey about it and we got her some potion-y thingy and she slept much better last night but, Pomfrey told us to measure it out for her and keep an eye on it. Apparently, she thinks Hermione could top herself,' Lavender's eyes widened and her voice lowered as she spoke, not in all concern but it "oh-my-Merlin-isn't-that-gossip-and-a-half!". Ron knew that Lavender wasn't a cruel person, she just liked to gossip and sometimes forgot that these were real people involved and not just story characters that she could do with as she wished.

Lavender began to daintily pick up food from around her and chit-chatted with the boys around her.

Ron knew that today was the day that lessons would restart for the main suspects involved, they had been allowed time off lessons. For once, he was happily looking forward to lessons as he knew it would help distract him from all of the investigation and it would definitely benefit Hermione hugely. For Lavender, he wasn't so sure.

* * *

Lessons dawdled on and Ron found himself with a mound of homework due to the work that he had missed. But he was glad as he knew it would keep his mind off the passing of his best friend. Hermione seemed slightly cheered at the thought of piles of work and was putting her hand up regularly, not as fast and as often as she normally would have but she made an effort nevertheless. Professor Snape didn't seem to mind.

However, there was just one part to the lessons that Ron could not bear; Harry had _always_ been his partner and had _always_ sat next to him and part of Ron seemed missing as that chair sat empty. He thought Hermione sensed it as she when she was in his lessons; she sat next to him with a comforting smile and a gentle touch on his arm.

But all in all, Ron thought today had done him, but mostly Hermione, the world of good and he finally thought that maybe, just maybe, one day he would be able to put Harry to rest. For now though, Harry would still linger, almost haunt, his side. Certainly until someone was placed in prison for his death.

* * *

Peace seemed to be half returned to Hogwarts; Harry's funeral had sort of settled the fear and anxiety and now that everyone had returned to lessons, life almost seemed back on track. But all of that was shattered.

A piercing, wail of a scream crashed through corridors, windows and through every open door. It was filling Hogwarts, engulfing and halting every student it touched.

Death returned.

* * *

'Shit Fox, whatta we got?' Stone shook his head with despair.

'It's another body sir, found dead at six this evening.'

'Found by?'

'Young first year Huffelpuff, she was in a complete state of shock and has been given some sleeping potions.'

'Won't be able to speak to her, eh?' Stone did not really care for the state of the girl, he just wanted her statement. Fox nodded as they walked towards the body. 'Nasty.'

'I didn't expect it sir,' muttered Fox honestly, he hadn't thought the murderer would strike again; it seemed to him that the Potter murder was just a one off.

'You can never assume anything in this line of work.'

Fox turned his back to the body while Stone crouched down.

'Alright Doc? How's the wife?' Stone said with a gruff chuckle. Doc looked up and smiled; that was a running joke.

'Dave's fine thanks.'

'What have you got for me?'

'A dead body,' both men had seen more of their fair share of dead bodies and this was just another one to add to the never-ending list of corpses. Yet, it being a young person did make it slightly harder for Doc but Stone had never really seen the difference... unless it was a baby, personally that would always hit a chord.

Stone just raised an eyebrow and waited

'Body's still warm so not dead, hmm, more than an hour or so,' Stone smiled, this was good.

'Between five and just before six?'

'I would guess around there, you can never be totally sure. Stabbed.'

'You can see that,' muttered Fox.

'In simple terms for you Stone, stabbed with this knife,' Doc said as he pulled the knife out slowly and his assistant placed a protecting charm over it. 'Blade was around five inches in length, only a few centimetres in width but incredibly sharp. Pen knife, I'd say. Or much alike. Blade went pretty much right the way through from what I can see, seems to have gone straight through the heart. Somebody had knowledge and knew how to get it over with quickly and silently, they were dead pretty much as soon as the knife pierced their skin. Simple.'

'Man or woman?'

'Hmmm,' Doc seemed to deliberate. 'Could be both really, the knife was rather potent and you can never tell how strong someone in a rage can truly be. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned_,' Doc quoted as he stood up, Stone shook his hand once Doc removed a bloody glove. 'I'll be able to tell you more later.'

'Thanks,' he nodded, spun around and paced off. Fox fell into step quickly.

'Well, that's one suspect removed from our list,' Fox tried to look on the bright side of it all.

'Or they could have murdered Potter and someone decided to enact revenge. They could have known and been blackmailing the real culprit,' suggested Stone with a superior air. 'We'll just have to find out.'

'Shall I get the rest together sir?'

'Yes, I think we can be assured that it was one of the remaining four,' he nodded his head, something told him that this latest victim had found out or had seen the original murder and so it could only be one of the surviving quartet.

There was now a serial killer on the loose in the middle of a bustling packed school of hormonal teenagers. They needed to wrap this one up fast before they had thousands of parents and superior staff weighing down on their shoulders.

* * *

_At first I had no idea as to why we were all be shepherded in to a small, empty classroom. But soon thing slotted into place and, to be honest and a little cocky, I don't think anyone else guessed until the words came out of Stone's mouth._

_Clue A, was that scream – something serious must have happened or a Huffelpuff girl had received some new shoes.  
Clue B, a huge arrival of aurors – either someone was dead or there was a party (where was my invite?) or someone was a death eater.  
Clue C, finding Ginny was going to same place as me – I highly doubted a family reunion.  
Clue D, Hermione and Draco were already waiting – or maybe there was a secret, a forbidden romance that I had _seriously_ missed.  
Clue E, Stone and Fox's arrival – I doubted that they had come to for a cuppa.  
Clue F, no Creepy – dun, dun, durrrrr!_

_Colin Creepy was as dead as my Aunt Nora._

_For some reason, Hermione began to cry but I comforted her with a half hug and some whispers of support. Draco seemed to somehow get even paler. Ginny just hung her head and fiddled with a cardigan button._

'_Are they killing us off?' Trust Draco to think the world revolved around him; I think I saw Stone hide a smile._

'_No, it's more likely than he knew something about the killer's identity.'_

_I caught on the quickest._

'_So whoever did him in must have killed Harry,' I left it there. Stone nodded for confirmation._

'_You will each have an auror to protect you,' on cue, four aurors came through the door._

'_Alice Denton will be with you Miss Weasley,' Denton was tall and had a great pair of tits – need I say more? As I watched Gin and the auror walk out, I knew Harry wouldn't mind me risking a good look, he would understand.  
'Tina Maple with you Miss Granger,' my eyes nearly popped out of my head, it was Hermione in ten years time! I murmured a goodbye and she nodded in reply. Both shuffled off, the woman's arm around Hermione's shoulder.  
'Will Willow, Draco,' a name has never suited a man so more than it did this time. The man looked like he would snap between two of your fingers and he made Draco look tanned! His voice seemed to float around the room and his face held a look of constant disappointment and depression._

'_Lastly, Ron my boy, you get,'_

'_A playwizard girl newly turned auror?' I asked cheekily and received a gruff laugh from Stone._

'_Naah, I'm keeping them to myself,' he rubbed his hands together. 'Patrick Dawn,' mine looked normal. Scruffy brown hair, tall but built like a dragon and dark blue eyes._

'_Alright mate?' He had the slightest hint of an Irish accent... maybe he'd brought some whiskey with him._

_I turned to leave and follow the pattern that everyone had done before me but I wasn't having any such luck._

'_Sit down,' Fox spoke for the first time and his tone was light and friendly – they wanted information._

'_Look, I know what you want and I'm afraid I haven't got anything. Luckily, I've managed to get a favour from Malfoy and I should have some strong, let's face it, gossip pretty soon.'_

'_What does that blonde make of this?'_

'_Lavender?' Stone nodded. 'She's acting like it's another story, not serious murder. I think she's rather enjoying it. She'd like to have it down as Hermione, I think, but I just can't see it. Not Draco, we've agreed on that.'_

'_Why?' Asked Fox. Up until now, he had seen the young Malfoy as a real contender._

'_He's all talk and if he was to have someone killed, he would never do it himself, the Malfoys never get their hands dirty. No, I'd say he's more scared than Gin is. Of course, I can't see it as Gin but she's got a bit of a temper, not as bad as Mum, but... you know.'_

'_So that just leaves you, eh?' Chuckled Stone._

'_I 'spose it does really,' I gave them both a smile._

'_So basically you've got nowhere?' I nodded. 'Same,' we shared a small smile. 'But this next one should help us; we'll start our questionings in the morning. Give you some time to sweat.'_

'_Or set our alibis and stories straight,' I winked as I left the room._


	10. Alibi Problems?

**_Hi, I just want to quickly apologise for the long delay in putting this chapter up; it was ready but technical problems meant I couldn't get it up!_**

**_Best wishes,  
_****_loony._**

* * *

Just as Stone had said, questioning started the next morning. The same questions were asked over and over to the, now, four suspects.

'Do you know this knife?'

'When did you last see Colin?'

'When did you last speak to Colin?'

'Was he acting unusual when you saw him?'

'Can you think of anyone else who might wish to harm him?'

'Did Colin hint that he might have known the murderer's identity?'

'Where were you between the hours of five and six yesterday evening?'

'Can anyone confirm you were at that place at that time or saw you around this time?'

Each person was pulled from lessons and interviewed rigorously; Stone and Fox had to get the culprit before they struck again or before the case was handed onto higher services. The interviews took as long as they had to; some were an hour others two. But the same reason appeared in each interview, not one suspect had a full alibi – at some point between five and six, each student was alone or had a big enough window to murder Colin and tidy up.

It seemed they were getting nowhere.

Even interviews with Colin's few friends yielded nothing but Dennis, the younger brother, did say that his brother had hinted at knowing who had killed Harry but had said that it couldn't have been them and refused to let anything more go. Colin didn't even say if it was a she or a he – which would have at least got rid of two suspects either way.

Speaking with the professor did, however, get the identity of the knife's owner; Professor Flitwick owned a small pen knife which was always kept on his desk and, just to help the detectives, any of the suspects could have had access to it. And the last time he had seen it was twelve o'clock yesterday afternoon – the culprit had amble time to take the knife. And to improve matters, each of the four students had charms yesterday so it was not as though they had to sneak in without being seen. Students had been all over his desk since the knife had gone missing so finger prints would not aid them.

This murder seemed to not help them in any way but to learn that the motive had probably been knowledge of the first murderer.

'Oh shit,' muttered Stone as he sat in their temporary incident room in Hogwarts.

'Boss?' Asked Fox without lifting his eyes from his notepad in front of him; Stone cursing was common and could mean anything from a murder to a broken quill.

'We've got a problem, a big fucker at that,' this time Fox did look up.

'Sir?'

'Who says the first and second murder were done by the same person? An accomplice could have found out that the identity of the first murderer was found out and then killed Colin to keep him quiet.'

'But why?'

'A number of reasons, love, friendship... anything! With the first murder, it has to be one of those five but now, it could be anyone!'

'But murder, sir? I might buy my mate a pint every now and again but kill?'

'These aren't rational adults; they're teenagers high on hormones and sex. And they think we'll not even look at them as we've been focus on these four.'

'Should we interview the close friends of our suspects?'

'Yes and get these alibi's checked and double checked! But,'

'Boss?'

'It need not be a close friend, we only know the friends that they have because they tell us or the professor say, but if they have kept this relationship hush hush.'

'Sir? You've got another angle,' Fox had gotten better at reading his boss over the years.

'This school is divided brutally into houses but mainly one rivalry rules. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Huffelpuff versus Slytherin. Now take that and give it a Romeo-Juliet spin. One of our suspects falls in love with someone from the rival house, say Gryffindor and Slytherin, and Mr Potter finds out about this. Not only will the couple lose each other but their house pride, family and friends... everything – they'll become the most hated people in Hogwarts. Then they think they're safe because only one of them is suspected or maybe both of them are, then disaster! Colin tells the murderer that he knows it was them or he knows their secret – remember Mr Weasley told us that he was Harry's own little stalker so he could have found out when Potter did. So to shut him up, the other one does it, that way the other party isn't even a suspect.'

'Or they could both be our suspects?'

'Of course but that would mean, either way, Malfoy is involved.'

'I told you he was sneaky sir!'

'He's a Slytherin, they're bred like that. But hmm, it could be a possible reason.'

'So what do we do about it?'

'Unfortunate, if they're willing to kill to keep this secret then they certainly won't tell us or give us even a hint at it. Right, they've got to meet sometime.'

'So we catch them discussing what to do next?'

'No, they, well one of them, must be smart so they are under any circumstance going to meet. At some point, they will have met up so we've got establish at what periods during, say, the last year our suspects have been alone or left alone with the enemy.'

'Sir?' Fox only said one word but Stone knew his query; how could they establish every time one of the suspects would have been left alone with a Slytherin or Malfoy with one of the other three houses? To him it seemed nigh impossible.

'We start with what we know; one of our four is involved.'

'We're going with this then?'

'Yes... I think so. It makes sense and fits this place; houses mean more than life in Hogwarts. Ms. Weasley?'

'Could be, she's had loads of boyfriends,' he commented, flicking through his pad.

'But if so, why would she kill for one of them? No, this motive doesn't fit her and she was dating Harry.'

'Cheating on him?'

'No, this kind of girl would just dump Harry and then get another.'

'Sir? What if it was Harry?'

'Huh?'

'Well, some students said that Harry was cheating on Ginny, most of them thought it was with Hermione, but what if it was a Slytherin?'

'No, that doesn't fit Potter at all. He was a die-hard Gryffindor. Never. Ah, Doc fancy helping?'

'What's the problem?' Smiled Doc as he walked into the room, Fox set about explaining.

'Yes, I have to say this fits. I agree with Jack here Taffy, not the female Weasley or the victim.'

'The female Weasley?' Smirked Stone. 'What you trying to say? Our little helper is sleeping with a Slytherin and murdered his best friend.'

'Surely Harry would have kept quiet if that were true?' Asked Fox. 'If my mate was fucking someone I didn't like, I doubt I'd blab.'

'Maybe so but our victim adored his house, it was his home. He would see that as a huge betrayal.'

'So it could work for Hermione too?' Fox began to chew the end of his quill. Doc nodded. 'So it was one of them two? Or Draco?' Both Stone and Doc nodded.

'It's seems like that son. Ms Granger?'

Fox almost laughed.

'No offence but she's a bit of a sap, more into books than penis.'

'Who says she straight?' Winked Stone. 'And, it was you who just said, that it was mostly like her who was cheating on Ginny with Harry.'

'So not her?'

'You never know, you must always be weary of the quiet ones. Malfoy?'

'I would say he is more likely that Miss Granger,' said Doc as he thought. 'His family would probably hate him the most for it, he would become disowned for it – he would have the most to lose.'

'But you said, sir, Malfoys didn't kill.'

'Malfoy's don't seem to fall in love but if this one did, he would kill. Right Doc?'

'I believe most definitely,' Doc came and sat on the edge of an empty desk. 'Now you're going to ask me what I think about Mr Weasley.' Both nodded. 'But firstly, I want to know what you think.' Fox was the first to answer this request.

'I quite like him, he's cheeky and he obviously loved his best mate. He's protective of both his sister and Hermione and he's trying to help us find out who did it. I wouldn't try to help if I'd done it.'

'Never assume that Fox, that's dangerous. He could be covering himself,' smiled Stone. 'Personally, I like the boy. But,'

'Jack?'

'I think I'm thinking about the same thing you are,' Doc gave a small laugh.

'I believe you probably are Jack.'

'How did he get Draco Malfoy on his side so quickly?'

'Because Draco did it and wants to look like he's helping.'

'Maybe but I don't think so.'

'You're trying to tell me that Ronald Weasley is fucking Draco Malfoy?!' Fox's jaw dropped open.

'Close it before something flies in,' Stone chuckled. 'We're not saying that but what if a Slytherin girl asked Malfoy to help Ron?'

'But I thought Ron was dating that blonde girl, what's her name... Lavender!'

'Cover or they're just friends. Doc?'

'I think that sums up my thinking but don't get too caught up in the theory of it all. Murder never follows theory; human beings never follow theory,' and with that, Doc smiled and left.

* * *

'_How did you get all of this, Lav?' I asked surprised; I should never ever underestimate this girl again._

_She just shrugged and smiled. 'I can't say.'_

_She had just, somehow, told me the new motive that the detectives had – that either Malfoy or I had a secret lover or that we were lovers! What a load of bullshit._

_She'd also just given me the trans-script of all the interviews, including mine for some reason._

'_That's all I've got for the moment.'_

'_That's _all_! Lavender, you've got loads. We know more than they do!'_

'_But you can't go telling them that we've got this.'_

'_Lav, I'm not that stupid,' I chuckled and gave her a thankful hug – what would I do without her?_

'_Have you spoken to Draco yet?' Since our new alliance, Lavender had been using the ferret's first name; I still refused too – for all I knew he could be Harry's murderer and sleeping with someone I knew (and trusted)._

'_No...Lav?'_

'_Yes, Ron,' she answered suspiciously._

'_It's not you is it? Who's sleeping with Draco? Because you know I'd still like you if you were I-,' I had to stop talking because Lavender had slapped me round the face._

'_Fuck no. Have you seen that nose?!' She began to laugh at the ridiculousness of her and Malfoy as an item._

'_Let's look at these alibis,' I said as I rub my sore right cheek and spread the parchment over the table. We had acquired an empty classroom that only had a class in it once a month – it was our own private incident room. Lavender gave a small cough and when she saw I was ready to dictate down the main facts, she began._

'_Hermione was, again, in the library from four until five thirty at which point that librarian woman saw her leave. No wizi-cams or people pick her up until dinner at seven, thus she has half an hour to stab Colin and then an hour to get cleaned up,' she paused as I finished off. 'Ginny was chatting to yours-truly until five and then we split, I stayed in the common room and she left. She claims she was with Luna then on until half six, but Luna has no sense of time so can't say when Ginny was with her but Hagrid said he saw Luna _alone _in the grounds and spoke to her between five and quarter past and then Ginny turned up. Which is long enough for her to leave me and then kill Colin and then claim she spend that time trying to find Luna. But everyone knows that Luna spends her time in the grounds so she wouldn't have had to spend a quarter of an hour wondering Hogwarts looking for Luna – have you spoke to her?' Lavender asked me._

'_I haven't spoken to Ginny or Luna recently.'_

'_Then speak to Ginny!' I nodded that I had understood my order. Lavender shook her wrists and her bracelets and bangles clashed and jangled together; how could she have wrist pain when I was the one writing! 'Draco claimed he was with Snape for the second half an hour and then Pansy for the first half, the second bit is right – I saw them talking in the potions room... okay, so I, personally, didn't but I've been informed they were. But Pansy told me that they weren't together until after six and she's just covering for him.'_

'_Bloody hell, why? She should tell Stone!'_

'_Ron for the same reason I would give you an alibi in a murder investigation; she believes Draco is innocent and can't see any harm in getting him out of trouble. They're close friends, like we are, and you protect your friends. Anyway, back to Draco, I've started to try to find out where he really was but at the same time, this fits that new motive. Draco met up with his lover to check all went well.'_

'_He would have to be stupid to do that.'_

'_He's a Malfoy, what do you expect?' She rolled her eyes at me. 'And lastly you.'_

'_I was with you from half five onwards.'_

'_And before that?'_

'_I was in the library.'_

'_Oh, for fuck's sake Ron! You can lie to them but you can't lie to me! There was no way you were in the library because a, I doubt you even know where it is, b, no one bloody saw you in there and c, if you were in the library you would have sat with Hermione or said hello and you did neither. So where were you Ron? Because they'll find out you weren't in the library and you'll be screwed! So tell me Ron, tell me where you really were and who with!'_


	11. A Chat With Ginny

**_MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!_ :D**

* * *

'Ah hello Ron,' called Stone cheerfully. They exchanged causal greetings and the latest Chudley Cannons score. 'Now about this alibi of yours... the second half is fine but it's the first half we can't quite pin down,' he looked sternly at Ron.

Ron gave him a cheeky smile.

'I wanted to see if I could get away with it.'

There was a tense pause; Stone stared hard into Ron's blue eyes.

'Oh no, not the murder!' Ron smirked, reading Stone's face and thoughts. 'I was actually with Draco Malfoy – I thought we could help each other out.

'So he'll confirm this?'

'Yeah, he's alibi doesn't quite check out either.'

'Well, that's one mystery solved. Thanks Ron,' Ron bid Stone goodbye and left.

* * *

'You could have told me in the first place!'

'Lav, there never was a first time, I never told you where I was,' he gave a small laugh and linked arms with the blonde girl. She tapped his am playfully.

'What did you two discuss?'

'Just if he had heard anything that relates to this case and, before you ask, he didn't. It was a waste of time.'

'But if you hadn't had that meeting then you would still be a suspect,' Ron nodded in agreement. 'I'll go and talk to Pansy again, she might have more. You go speak to your sister,' she gave him a good-luck kiss on the cheek and swayed away.

Ron watched her go and made his way to Gryffindor. Ginny would be there; she always was.

As Ron walked into the common room, he was grateful to see that it was only Ginny and a handful of first and second years in there. The smell of nail ink filled the room.

'Core, Gin, you could have at least put on an airing charm,' he said with a smile and waved his wand. He could breathe again. 'What colour?'

He walked over and sat next to her.

'Black.'

'Cheerful,' she smiled at his sarcastic response.

'For Harry,' Ron could feel her sadness; he put a long arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer. 'My nails!' She squealed but leaned into her brother, loving the protective sentiment.

'How have you been, Gin? And don't give me all this "I've been fine" shit,' he rested his chin on her smooth hair.

'Terrible. I miss him so much, he was always there. Sometimes I half expect him to just walk through the portrait hole and moan about his scar,' she gave a small, sad laugh; Ron knew what she was going through, he kept waiting for the same thing. 'I really loved him, Ron, and there's a hole where he's meant to be and, and I don't know if I'm ever going to fill it,' she let the tears escape and run down her face.

Ron awkwardly turned her and hugged her tightly, letting her tears soak his own shirt. He stroked her hair and rubbed small circles on her back, just allowing her to shed her pain and heartbreak. He knew now that there was nothing he could ever truly do to stop the hurt but he could try to make her as happy as she could be. Her soul mate was gone and nothing could ever bring him back.

'Thanks Ron,' half an hour later, she pulled away from Ron and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

'They'll find out who did this, Gin,' he said, thinking it would comfort her but as he watched her eyes, it didn't seem to. 'What's wrong, don't you want them to find out who did this?' His tone was pushier than he had meant it to be.

'Of course, but..,' she stopped and looked down.

'Look, Gin, you know you can tell me,' his tone was soft and trusting. He reached out for her small hands (on which the black nail ink had luckily dried) and enclosed them in his own large ones.

'I think we both know it's not Draco Malfoy,' she said with a sad smile. 'I wish it was, but I know it wasn't. So that means it's someone I love; either you or Hermione.'

'So it wasn't you?' Asked Ron with a smile, Ginny gave a small laugh and shook her head.

'And I don't want it to be either of you because I can't see either of you doing that. You loved Harry nearly as much as I did and I don't want to lose either of you. I just want them to leave and take the memory of Harry's...,' her sentence trailed off; she couldn't bring herself to say it but Ron knew what word she had missed. 'Away from me and Hogwarts.'

'Where were you Gin?' Asked Ron tenderly. She looked up. 'You weren't where you said you were,' he looked seriously at her. 'I don't care if-,'

'No!' She exclaimed. 'I didn't harm either of them, I couldn't.' She looked away from Ron and he thought he may have lost his opportunity to find out first-hand where Ginny had really been. 'I was with Lavender and then Luna.'

'Ginny,' Ron's voice gave an unspoken warning.

'I was with Dean in-between,' at first Ron didn't get what she truly meant and then it sunk in.

'Oh, for fuck's sake Ginny! Harry's not been dead five minutes and you're already-,'

'Don't say it Ron!' Ginny jumped up, her face a mixture of anger and guilt.

'How could you? Whatever happened to "I loved Harry" and "he was my soul mate",' Ron just shook his head at her and walked off. He ignored her cries and left the common room.

Suddenly, Ginny's innocence didn't seem so clear.

* * *

'_She's fucking Dean Thomas!'_

'_She didn't say-.'_

'_That's what she meant. A quickie between seeing two of her friends; how disgusting! Not even I would do that. Her boyfriend's not been dead two seconds and she's already shacked up with another,' Lavender tutted her repulse and Ron said nothing. He still couldn't believe it; he didn't think her capable of something so... malicious. 'She could have done it.'_

'_But she-.'_

'_No buts, Ronnie, if she's doing Dean it stands to reason that she could be doing someone else as well. Dean would cover for her and say they were together for 15 minutes when they were only together for 5 or her other lover could have done it,' she paused. 'Have you spoken to Hermione?'_

'_I've-,'_

'_Only just come from Ginny, yes I know. But these things need to be done and, unlike Ginny, I don't think Hermione likes me – I can't think why! So you'll need to speak to her about it.'_

'_Have you got anymore?'_

'_Pansy did mention something about Ginny and Dean, so that supports that bit of evidence,'_

'_Evidence?' I interrupted suddenly it all seemed so serious and meaningful. I know we were investigating the murder but somehow it didn't seem real – for some strange reason, it just felt like a game and at the end we would pack the pieces away and play again another day._

'_Well what else is it? This is a murder investigation so any information gathered must be evidence! Anyway, where was I?' She thought for a second before continuing. 'Oh yes, Pansy! We've got your alibi sorted and Ginny's and Draco's but neither of us had heard anything about Miss Granger's. Hmm, as far as Slytherin-Gryffindor lovers go, we've got nothing. Not one drop of gossip and, trust me, it would be more than a drop of gossip if it were true!'_

'_So you don't think it's true?' I asked, the detectives seemed sure of them and had actually taken to asking questions about that topic._

'_No, it's a load of bullshit, Ronnie! I would know as soon as a Slytherin and Gryffindor even looked at each other in a friendly way, let alone lovey-dovey! You would never be able to keep such a thing from Lavender Brown or Slytherin, for that matter. Thus the motive must be another.'_

'_Lav?' I asked, knowing full well she had a perfect idea of who and why._

_She stood up and began pacing, counting the motives on her hands as she spoke._

'_One a, is you. You kill Harry because you're jealous of his fame, wealth, blah, blah. One b is still you. You kill Harry because he's cheating on your sister. One c, still you. You kill Harry because he's taken Hermione from you – oh, give over Ron you loved, or love, her! Whether Ginny's linked in with that I don't know.'_

'_You still consider me?'_

'_I'm just saying, I can't afford to count you out,' she gave me a teasing wink but suddenly, I wasn't so sure that she thought me entirely innocent. 'Now two a, is Ginny. She kills Harry because he's cheating on her. Two b, Ginny kills Harry because... well, okay, I've only got one motive for Ginny, but we both know that one is true. Harry Potter was certainly cheating on her, whether it was just with Hermione, or not, or with a string of other girls, we don't know. But I'm going to find out,' she scribbled down a note on her scented, pink parchment and carried on. 'Three a, is Hermione. She murders Harry because she rejects him, as in she's madly in love with him and he refuses to have her (so he's not cheating on her with Ginny) and so if she can't have him no one can – oh, trust me Ronnie, it can happen! Three b, Hermione does it because, well it's the same as before but this time she's already with him behind Ginny's back and he ends it, whether to get another girl or, I don't know. Three c, they're not together but Hermione finds out that he's cheating on Ginny and, in a passionate, protective rage, kills Harry – I don't know, maybe she's in love with Ginny,' Lavender shrugged, like it could be the most natural thing in the world. _

_Personally, Hermione being a lesbian was as unnatural and weird as You-Know-Who dancing naked in the Gryffindor common room to the muggle song "I'm Too Sexy" – Lavender seriously needed to get a better (and less cheesier) taste in muggle music. _

'_I don't think I've got anymore for her.'_

'_What about Draco?' She'd included me in her list so she must have thought about Malfoy._

_But to my surprise, and slight hurt, she shook her head and said no more about him._

'_The second murder has the same motive; Creepy found out and was killed to silence him,' she smiled contently._

'_That's it?'_

'_Unless you've got anything to add,' and even if I had, she carried on too quickly for me to put one word in. 'Right, we've got motives and now we just need to reduce it. We have to find out who Harry was cheating on Ginny with and whether Hermione was one of them, if Hermione's a lesbian,' I can't believe she put that one in. 'And if Ginny knew Harry was cheating on her, she'd have to be really thick and naive to not know. Hmm... I think that's all.'_

'_Are we going to tell?'_

'_Tell who?'_

'_Stone and Fox about what we've got.'_

'_Why? It's nothing new, just that Ginny's got a new boyfriend, and it won't take them long to find that out. If they think there is a relationship between two houses that hate each other, then they are seriously mistaken and they deserve not to be told.'_

_And with that, we both went our separate ways; each with our little missions to complete._

_As I walked away, something told me that this was all nearly over.  
Something would crack and we would finally be free – minus the one who would be trapped behind Azkaban's bars for life._


	12. Tea With Hermione

_**HAPPY NEW YEAR! I WISH YOU AN AMAZING 2013 :)**_

* * *

It was another week before Ron got the chance (and courage) to talk to Hermione; he had been avoiding Lavender like she was a Hungarian Horntail.

He managed to get her alone as the library was closing one Friday evening, he had seen her in classes and the common room but he didn't really think it was quite the right time. It hadn't been the same between them since Harry had gone, they had been the Golden Trio and Ron and Hermione hadn't really spent time alone together without Harry being there. It almost seemed wrong for them to be alone together without their raven-haired friend.

'Hey,' Ron's voice was nearly a whisper but Hermione heard and turned to face Ron.

'Hello,' she gave him a small smile; she still wasn't over Harry's passing and neither was Ron, but to be honest he looked better for it. Ron had never seen Hermione's hair so bushy and her appearance so neglected.

There was a slight pause were Ron wasn't quite sure what to say next; "how have you been?" didn't really seem appropriate. Normal conversation didn't seem appropriate.

'Fancy a cup of tea?' He asked with a shrug and a small side smile. Hermione seem to doubt whether she should but finally nodded.

Ron politely took her books from her arms and her bag.

'Suits me, doesn't it?' He gave her a cheeky wink.

The conversation was general and to a stranger it would have seem like the couple were nothing more than classmates who had been told to sit next to each other in a seating plan by a professor.

They arrived into the warm, bustling kitchen and were greeted by smiling, happy, little elves, who all hugged Ron's legs.

'Tea please,' he asked to the general abundance of elves as they sat down at a large wooden table in the middle of the kitchen.

Ron waited for tea, with elf-made biscuits, to be served before he spoke to her.

'Look, 'Mione,'

'I know what you're going to say,' she interrupted, Ron's ears blushed red and he looked down into his cup. 'It's okay Ron, I don't mind truly. I want to help you, please, ask away.'

She gave him a strong smile before taking a sip of her tea.

'I'm going to come out straight with this first question because someone wondered if it were true and I thought it was rubbish but then I didn't quite-,'

'Ron, you're rambling, it's fine, just ask.'

'Are you a lesbian?'

Hermione put down her cup, looked Ron straight in the eye.

And burst out laughing.

It was the first time, in what seemed liked years, that he had heard her laugh for real. It looked like tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

'Merlin! Ron, no,' she gave a smile and shook her head before taking another sip of her tea.

Ron said nothing to her reply but his ears re-blushed.

He let the silence settle for a moment.

'Next question,' Hermione put her cup down. 'What was your alibi for Colin's?' Ron didn't, couldn't, say "murder" in front of her.

She understood.

'I was with-,' Ron's mind suddenly wondered if she was the one with the Slytherin boyfriend, the theory that Lavender so strongly disagreed with. 'Professor McGonagall, going through the mock theory exam we did in class,' it was so simple and Ron wondered why Lavender hadn't heard about this – either she knew more than she was telling, so was keeping Ron in the dark, or she didn't know, and was so maybe missing information that could actually be important.

'Oh okay,' Ron smiled.

'Is that everything?' She had now finished her tea and seemed to want to leave.

'Uh, no,' Ron had no idea how we was going to approach the subject. 'Err, look, 'Mione,'

'Oh come on Ron, just ask me, it's fine,' she gave a warm smile that Ron didn't think was going to remain on her face much longer.

'Where you having an affair with Harry?' Ron said it quickly while he looked at his, now empty, cup but she still understood.

Hermione said nothing and Ron wondered if he had messed his chance up, he also guessed by her silence (and lack of shocked/insulted expression) that it was true.

Hermione Granger had been with her best friend's boyfriend.

'It's okay,' Ron whispered to her and reached across the hold her hands.

She retracted them as quick as a dementor faced with a patronus.

'No,' now she had tears in her eyes. 'It's not! I'm a fucking, pathetic little slut,' that was the first time Ron had ever heard her swear. He wanted to stop her saying such things about herself but something told him that she had been bottling these entire feelings up and needed to release it. Tears now streamed down her face. 'I betrayed Ginny! How can I call myself her best friend when I did that to her? I couldn't stop myself, I knew it was wrong but I was so stupid and didn't,' she had stood up from the table and was backing away towards the exit. 'I'm just a dirty whore, who should be dead.'

Ron couldn't sit still any longer.

He made his way swiftly over to her and pulled her into his strong arms, he held her tighter as she tried to escape. She soon gave up trying to escape his embrace and allowed herself to collapse into his arms, tears drowning her eyes.

'I love him, Ron. I still love him and,' she paused while her cries strangled her windpipe. 'I-I don't, I can't regret a second.'

Ron watched her pull herself from his embrace and leave the kitchen, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

'Master,' Ron looked down to an elf pulling gently at one of his trouser legs. 'Everything will be alright, promise.'

* * *

'_Lavender?'_

'_Yes Ronnie?' She looked up from painting her nails when I called her name. 'Sit down,' I sat next to her._

'_Did you know about Hermione's alibi?' I didn't want to start with the affair part. I had found Hermione in the library, still crying, so I had taken her away from that awful place (to be honest I think it was a miracle I managed to find the bloody library!). I had only just come from leaving Hermione in Luna's care; Luna wouldn't probe about Hermione's problem but would just hug her and, I guessed, sing to her. Luna would be a safe place for Hermione._

'_Hermione's?' She asked as she racked her brain trying to remember._

'_Yes, that's what I said,' part of me was annoyed with her question._

'_Oh yeah, I knew about Hermione's,'_

'_Bloody Hell!'_

'_Oh, I told you I didn't,' she said casually, I went to argue back but she put a finger to my lips and hushed me. 'Don't get angry with me! I needed to find out if she was having that affair and you needed a gentler subject to start conversation off with then "were you fucking Harry Potter?",' she gave me a sweet smile that I just couldn't be angry with. I could see why she had done it and it wasn't a nasty reason to lie to me, more of a nice little white lie that hadn't really done any damage._

'_What else have you been keeping from me?' I asked, no longer truly annoyed with her but I didn't want to her know that._

'_Nothing... except,'_

'_Oh, Merlin, Lavender!'_

'_Hey, you should let me finish before you assume the worst! When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me!' She gave a little smile at her own line._

'_Lavender!'_

'_Okay, okay, keep your robes on! I only found this out a minute or two ago when I saw Pansy,' she whispered the girl's name, not feeling comfortable with saying the Slytherin girl's name in the Gryffindor common room. 'She, from her many Slytherin sources, has found out who Harry was having an affair with.'_

'_I know one girl.'_

'_Let me guess, Hermione.'_

'_What?' I was annoyed that she obviously knew; that had been my information that I had found out._

'_Yeah. Well firstly, you just came from talking to her so who else would have told you? And _apparently_,' when Lavender used that word you knew something serious had gone down._ _'She had been seen hundreds of times alone with Harry on private little dates aaand they had been seen kissing on various occasions... and more, if you know what I mean,' and by the tone of Lavender's voice, I knew exactly what she meant. Part of me wished I didn't. 'But Pansy also found out a few more than just Ms. Granger and you, Ronnie, best keep yourself in check since some of these affairs are not common Hogwarts knowledge and I don't want you yelling it about, okay?' I replied I would keep quiet. She lowered her voice and gave a small cough before rolling off the names. _

'_Harry Potter cheated on Ginny with,' she left a dramatic pause, that made me want to scream. 'Susan Bones-,'_

'_Susan Bones?! WTF?! SHE'S-,' everyone in the common room just turned and faced me. Some interested in what I had to say about Susan and what I had just heard to make me give such a response and others were just annoyed that I had interrupted their conversations._

_Lavender sighed and rolled her eyes at me. 'That's what I didn't want to happen. We'll just have to wait for them all to stop looking at us and get on with whatever they were doing.'_

_It was about another ten minutes before she even looked at me._

'_Do anything like that again and I won't ever tell you and I'll make sure Pansy doesn't either,' I mimed zipping my lips and throwing away the key._

'_Okay, Susan Bones,' she looked at me and when she was convinced I wasn't going to have another outburst continued. 'And Zara Nathington, from Huffelpuff,' she looked at me and I had to restrain myself from jumping up and shouting. These girls were nothing compared to Ginny, they were nowhere near as smart, funny, pretty, interesting or lovely as Ginny – okay, so she's my sister and I might have been a tiny bit bias but she was still better than those girls._

'_That's it?' I said in a light surprise as it only made three girls in total; I thought it could have been a lot worse._

'_Yeah,' she said. 'If you include, Cho Chang, Hannah Abbot, Morag MacDougal, Sally-Anne Perks, Lily Moon, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Demelza Robins, Eloise Midgeon, Laura Madley, Marietta Edgecombe, Mandy Brocklehurst, Gabrielle Delacour, Katie Bell and Lisa Turpin.' _

_My mouth dropped open and my eyes grew wider as the list continued._

_I said nothing. I couldn't._

_She paused for a slight second. 'Oh, I nearly forgot! Millicent Bulstrode... well if the aurors are looking for a Slytherin and Gryffindor relationship they've got it.'_

_She said nothing while she gave her nails a final look over and allowed it to sink in._

'_To be honest with you Ronnie, I think he bloody well deserved to die. Dickhead,' she finished and left me in my shock. _

_Suddenly, Ginny hooking up with Dean after Harry's death didn't seem too bad._

_But one major question filled my mind:_

_How the hell did Harry Potter get so many girls and I got none?!_


	13. A Few Final Findings

_Sorry for the wait but look, I made it extra long to make up for it :D_

* * *

'Oooh, Ronnie!' Squealed Lavender one Saturday evening as he sat in the great hall, finishing off his large dinner.

'Yes Lavender?' Ron assumed Lavender had some piece of gossip to tell him. His voice was disinterested; recently they had heard nothing new and were no closer to finding out the killer. It seemed that anything they found out just led to a dead end and Ron was wondering if they would ever be able to solve this.

'I heard,' Ron sighed – it was another piece of irrelevant whispers. 'That the detectives are leaving,' Lavender was positively glowing.

'They do that every day Lav,' the only people who had been staying at Hogwarts had been the assigned aurors but they had left yesterday. It had been three weeks since the Colin murder and what felt a million years since Harry's.

'No!' She rolled her eyes and dramatically sighed. 'For good,' Ron perked up.

'What? Have they solved it?' Part of him was happy for all of this would be over but another part was annoyed that the detectives had solved it.

'I don't know but Pav says she saw them talking to Dumbledore and saying goodbye. Apparently, the suspects will be called to Dumbledore's office later so that they can talk to you all,' Lavender was practically jumping up and down on her seat.

'Whoa, calm down Lavender!' Exclaimed Ron as she nearly knocked the drink out of his hand.

'I better be invited... or if not you can plus one me,' she beamed.

'I don't think it'll be a plus one event.'

'Meh, they won't mind if little-old me comes along,' and Ron thought that Stone would certainly mind; Lavender would let everyone know what had happened and would make it a thousand times more theatrical. 'Anyway, I have to go and get ready,' and with a flick of her blonde hair, she was gone.

'Hey brother,' smiled Ginny and took a seat opposite him.

'Alright?' Ron had spotted Ginny early in the evening but had said nothing; she had been sitting next to Dean and part of him had wanted to kill her – pardon the expression.

'Yeah, I'm okay. How about you? You've been swamped by Lavender Brown these past few weeks... I don't know how you've survived,' she gave him a smile.

'Lavender's been fine,' he jumped to the girl's defence quickly; he would have got nowhere without her. 'I've been alright considering everything that's been going on.'

'Oh yeah-,'

'Look Gin,' Ron cut across her. He couldn't take it anymore. The last time they had spoken had not finished well but she was his sister and he couldn't stand not talking to her. 'I'm going to be straight with you because I can't understand and part of me is just bloody pissed off with you,' Ginny looked sweetly at Ron but he knew that look – she was trying to play innocent. 'No, don't look at me like that. What's with you and Dean?' Ginny gave him a shy smile and began to blush; her and Ron had never fully talked about their relationship, just established that there was something between her and Dean. 'Bloody Hell Ginny, don't try and fuck with me... like you have been with Dean!'

Ginny stood up, outraged.

'Sit right back down,' the dominance in his voice made her obey. 'Why? I just can't understand why. Harry hadn't been dead five bloody minutes then you went and got another boyfriend. I-,'

'Now it's my turn to talk Ron!' She gave him a fierce look worthy of Molly, the last time they had had this argument she had just let Ron talk and now it was her turn. 'Harry had been playing me, basically, since we started dating but I loved him too much to say anything in fear of losing him. He broke my heart. And then he died. Suddenly it was like the fog had cleared and I suddenly saw that I had never really truly loved him... it had been some kind of crazy, childhood crush, obsession almost. I don't think he ever loved me,' she whispered, now caught up in her own thoughts.

'Why Dean?'

'Why not?' She scoffed. 'He's always liked me and has been treating me right. I know, unlike Harry, he won't try and play me because he does actually love me. Okay, so I might not love him now but I know I'll learn to. He's a good guy, better than Harry, Ron and you know it.'

Ron paused before speaking.

He reached out and held her hand across the table.

'Okay, okay Ginny... I think I understand.'

'I knew you would,' she gave him a sad smile. 'Do you think they'll get the killer?'

Ron just shrugged in response.

'I heard they want to speak to us tonight, do you think they'll arrest one of us or something?' She asked.

Again Ron shrugged.

'To be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea.'

Ginny looked down at their hands and then looked Ron in the eyes.

'Thank you Ron, you said you would protect and look after me and you have. Love you,' she gave him a warm, caring smile, which conveyed more than words ever could.

'I love you too Ginny and you know I would do anything for you.'

* * *

'You've been useless.'

'Oi! It's not my fault, you-,'

'Oh shut up boys or get a room,' Pansy cut across the arguing couple.

Pansy, Lavender, Ron and Draco had got together in a spare classroom; soon Ron and Draco had an appointment at Dumbledore's office, summoned by Stone and Fox.

'Look, I know we haven't helped as much as we wanted to but that's neither party's fault,' reasoned Pansy. 'There has been nothing said about it in Slytherin over the past few weeks. No one really cared about Creevy's death so nothing was spread. We couldn't have done anything.'

'Pansy's right. We've tried all we can and have uncovered lots of stuff but we've never been fully able to exclude everyone. It's harder to solve a murder than books make it seem. There isn't any obvious suspect, no one was seen committing the murders and the murderer hasn't killed everyone else off or admitted it,' Lavender gave a heavy sigh. At the start she had loved the thrill of the rumours and the atmosphere that had descended upon Hogwarts but now she was just fed up with it all. No one said anything interesting anymore and the murders almost seem like a fading nightmare. She was annoyed that she hadn't been able to reveal who it was but maybe the detectives had and would, in theatrical fashion, reveal all.

'The elves!' Shouted Lavender, only to receive questioning looks from the others.

Over the last hour, the four teenagers had been pooling all of their knowledge surrounding the case. And so far, had not had a brilliant, enlightening idea as to who the culprit was and why they had committed two murders.

'Yes?' Asked Ron, he knew of the elves (and so did the rest of the wizarding population) and wondered what was so important about them.

'Elves get everywhere and nobody ever sees them or thinks of them; they could have seen something important and the aurors would never have thought to question them!' She stood up, like she was about to march out of the room and integrate every elf in Hogwarts.

'It's no use,' muttered Pansy and Lavender was about to protest when Draco broke in.

'No, it's a good idea but Pansy and I already thought of it. We questioned them after Harry's murder and they said they had seen nothing and it was the same with Creevy's murder.'

'But maybe they're protecting the killer,' exclaimed Lavender in an excited and happy tone.

'Or, they don't know anything!' Draco said in the same tone as Lavender but it oozed sarcasm.

Lavender looked like she was about to take Draco's eyes out with her perfectly manicured nails.

'Come on Lav,' warned Ron, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible; they could start fighting now, it would just waste time that could be spent thinking.

As they had been pooling everything, Lavender had been writing it down; her pink, perfume-scented notebook looked like so:

**Harry's murder**  
How? Between the hours of seven and ten but said to be more likely 8 to 9.  
Someone must have stolen Harry's invisibility cloak.  
Draco's knife was used – person was probably smaller than Harry but could be either gender.

Why? Ginny – cheated on, broken heart.  
Colin - obsessed stalker.  
Hermione - loves Harry, can't have him so no one can.  
Draco – hates him.  
Ron - loves Hermione, Harry cheated on sis, jealous.

Alibi Ginny – None until 9  
Colin – None at all (but is killed later)  
Hermione – None until 9:30  
Draco – None until 8  
Ron – From 7 onwards

Whodunit? Motive – all  
Means – Ginny, Hermione, Colin and Ron could easily get cloak.  
Draco could easily get knife.  
Draco couldn't have had easy access to the cloak and vice versa.  
Everyone could have had the time (if exclude more precise times)

**Colin's murder**  
How? Between 5-6pm  
Small pen knife (Flitwick's – all could have got it)

Why? More general motives; Colin murderer = revenge for Harry  
Colin saw/knew something = keep quiet motive

Alibi Ginny – Has 15 minute gap between 5 - 5:15, when she was with Luna  
Hermione – In Library until she leaves, is seen at dinner later so has an hour and a half gap  
Draco – Ron and then Pansy  
Ron – Draco then Lavender  
Yet, someone new could have done it to protect or cover

Whodunit? Motive – all potentially  
Means – all; Ron and Draco seem to alibis covering

Ron took Lavender's notebook from her.

'Bloody hell! We might as well have not bothered! We can't exclude anyone fully from anything and anyone could have done Creepy in!' He cast the book onto the desk and put his head in his hands.

'At least we tried,' Lavender patted his arm comfortingly, trying to console her despairing friend.

There was a slight pause and then Lavender suddenly grabbed hold of Ron's arm and squealed.

'OH MY MERLIN! I'VE BEEN SO STUPID!'

'Lavender?' Ron called as Lavender flew out of the room. Pansy and Draco looked questioningly at Ron but he was just a clueless as they were.

Ten minutes passed and the trio tried to make chatter to break the awkward silence they now faced.

The sound of heels echoing down a corridor boomed through the door.

'Lavender?' Repeated Ron.

Lavender stood in the doorway looking slightly flustered with her hands behind her back.

'Guess what I've got?'

'I dunno.'

'That's not a guess, Ron! Think!' She rolled her eyes and Ron could see she was desperate to put her hands on her hips but that would mean she would have to drop whatever was behind her.

'Make-up?'

'Oh, be serious! We've basically established Creevy was killed because he knew something, right?'

'He could have-,'

'No, Draco, he was killed because he knew the killer's identity or something that would lead to them.'

'So?' Piped up Pansy.

'If you thought you knew who the killer was, what would you do?'

'Try to prove it?' Answered Draco, questioning himself as he spoke unsure as to what this blonde bombshell was getting at.

'Exactly! Now, think of Creevy – what was he known for? How would he try to prove it?' She seemed to glow, smug in the knowledge she held over the others.

'You smart girl Lavender!' Yelled Ron; the knut had dropped.

'Thank you,' she took a mock bow, being careful not to show the object.

'Explain,' muttered Pansy, looking at Ron.

'This is Creepy, who I've never seen without one object on him...,' Ron left the sentence hanging.

'Oh!' Exclaimed Pansy as she guessed what the mysterious object was. Draco looked at each of their self-righteous little faces.

'Tell me,' he whined, not wanting to be left out.

'Okay, okay,' said Lavender after the knowing three exchanged smug smiles. 'Ron?'

'It's so simple,' he smirked. 'Creepy always, always carried his _camera_ on him.'

'So?' Asked Draco, it still not clicking.

'Can anyone be so stupid?' Whispered Pansy under her breath.

'If he wanted to gather proof of what he knew, he would take pictures of said person or maybe he was taking pictures of Harry and, unknowingly at the time, caught the murder!'

'Didn't they check the camera?' Draco asked.

'No, they didn't,' Lavender walked into the room and laid the camera down on the desk.

'Have you looked at them yet?' Asked Pansy, Lavender shook her head.

'Who wants to do the honours?' Lavender said before she automatically looked at Ron.

'I'll do it,' he pulled his wand and nervously flicked it over the camera. The first picture was now like a projection in front of their eyes allowing them to view it in greater detail. Ron flicked his wrist to the left and the next picture appeared; he carried on doing so slowly so that the group could study the pictures.

At first, it was mostly just normal Harry pictures – Ron felt his heart sink as one of him and his best friend appeared, both boys smiling and joking. Lavender placed her hand comfortingly on his arm. The date on the pictures flicked on, until they reached that fateful day.

Ron moved even slowly through the pictures now, not wanting to miss something.

'There are only five pictures taken after that day,' he said.

'Go slower,' commented Lavender; Ron lingered on each picture, not wanting to miss the tiniest detail that might solve the whole thing.

'Oh!' Gasped Lavender as they moved on to the final photo, she looked at Ron.

'What?' Exclaimed Pansy. 'Go back one Ron! What do you see Lavender?'

Pansy got off her chair and went to the screen, her eyes scanning every tiny part.

'It's...,' she paused and then shook her head. 'It's nothing,' she looked at Ron and gave him a smile. 'There's nothing there. The camera's a dead end.'

'Maybe someone appears more in the photos than everyone else?' Suggested Pansy, her voice trying to hold some kind of bleak hope.

'No,' Draco shook his head. 'That's what I was doing but I didn't see anyone more than everyone else.'

The group exchanged grave looks as Lavender got rid of the slideshow.

'Come on, we better leave,' Draco looked at Ron and stood up slowly, apathy had taken over.

Pansy shook her head and hooked onto Draco's arm.

'We're coming too.'

* * *

_A horrid, gloomy despair hung ominously in Dumbledore's office; all of us suspects shuffled nervously, Dumbledore sat at his desk with no expression on his face, Lavender and Pansy sat either side of me having been allowed to stay, Stone and Fox stood superior in front of our line._

_This was it._

_The moment everything would finish and I could sleep better at night._

'_It's nice to see you all again,' and I could tell from Stone's voice that he was thinking the complete opposite._

'_As you know, the case has been progressing slowly over the weeks since both the first and second, tragic, murders, but you haven't helped by lying to us at every turn,' he looked at us in turn, staring each of us right in the eye. I suddenly felt guilty even though I had done nothing... okay, so I lied about my alibi, once._

'_Tonight, however, there is a conclusion to this case.'_

_We all suddenly sat up and listened intently._

'_We leave Hogwarts tonight with,' we all edged forward, waiting to hear who they would take away. _

'_No one for the murders of Harry Potter and Colin Creevy.'_

_To say we were outraged was an understatement._

_Everyone was up off their seat and yelling. For a second, I thought Lavender was going to pick her chair up and throw it at him._

'_SHUT UP!' Stone boomed._

'_Why?' I said as the others quietened and sat down. I couldn't back down now, I couldn't stop this hunt so why would they?_

'_Look, we've got nowhere and the MoM wants to assign us to other cases. Other people have been murdered while we've been working on this.'_

'_But-,'_

'_No "but"s! The MoM think no one will ever be caught for this so we're just wasting our time – No, I'm not saying this is a waste of time! They just think it is. We've got no new evidence that can reason our staying here.'_

'_So you're just going to leave!'_

'_Basically, yes. There's nothing more we can do. I hate to leave a case unclosed and this is the first one I have ever just abandoned like this. I feel like shit at the moment and trust me, I've tried to argue but my seniors won't have it. Me and Fox are being assigned to another case. Look, whoever did it is one of you lot, not some dangerous, serial killing maniac or death eater so, to them, it's nothing that's going to endanger the public's, or their bloody own, safety. Maybe in ten years, they'll reopen it but then they'll have even less to go than we do,' he looked round at all of our faces. I suddenly knew he meant what he said and kind of felt sorry for him – he had desperately wanted to find this killer but he had, in all honesty, found nothing._

'_You can continue your own investigations but officially this case is closed.'_

_I thought he had finished and Draco even got up to leave._

'_Just remember,' he paused. 'One of you in here is a murderer and responsible for the deaths of two young men. You, and you alone, will have to live with that on your conscience for the rest of your life and for your own sake, I hope you regret it.'_

_We all nervously glanced around at each other, hoping that one of us would jump up and announce that they were the killer._

_No such luck._

_I saw Hermione crying as she walked out guided by Ginny, who also looked like she was about to cry. Pansy and Lavender left arm-in-arm quietly talking – I doubt they would let this go for a while. Draco shuffled out by himself._

_I stayed._

'_Thank you,' I walked over to Stone and held out my hand. He shook it with a small smile._

'_Thanks Ron, I know you and your girl,' I resisted the urge to correct him. 'Both tried as hard as you could. Most murders aren't perfectly solved and some aren't ever cleared up. It's gonna be hard, I know, to deal with this and not knowing who did what. That will fade, it'll never disappear but it should get better,' he pulled a card out of his jacket. 'Keep in touch Ron and if you ever fancy joining the squad, I'll make sure you get a good place,' he patted me on the back and walked off to discuss with Dumbledore._

'_You've done well Ron, you've done all you could,' smiled Fox and he gave me a hug and his card, again instructing me to stay in contact._

_But as he said those words to me, I couldn't help but think that I hadn't done all I could; no one was in Azkaban for Harry's (and Colin's) murder._

_Whodunit?_

_I suppose Hogwarts will never know..._

* * *

**Hey, people don't think this is the end – I'm not that cruel.**

**Lavender's notebook has given you all of the facts that they've collected so maybe you should have a go and guess whodunit! And of course, I've left little-ickle clues in each chapter for you. You know you want to guess!  
You've got one more chapter to go ;)**


	14. All Is Revealed!

_This story isn't like your normal Hollywood plotline or muggle TV crime drama – no one was caught._

_The rookie detective (moi, in this case) didn't gather everyone together and then reveal, on a stormy dark night, how the murder was done. No such luck here._

_But of course, someone did it._

_Here's a little epilogue for you._

_Hey, stay with me now... just wait for it. All will be revealed._

_Malfoy (some-bloody-how) became an auror and is now head detective of some auror department somewhere. I think he's actually just a spy for some death eaters, who avoid capture, or maybe I'm just being cynical. We've got a Hogwarts reunion next month so I'm sure I'll hear all about it then... I just can't wait._

_Hermione never fulfilled her potential. She finished with great N.E.W.T.S. and is now a professor of transfiguration and head of Gryffindor at Hogwarts – she could have done so much more. Not that being a professor of transfiguration isn't great or anything but, well, yeah..._

_Ginny never looked back after the Harry episode; she's a healer at St. Mungo's and married a great, trustworthy, all-round good guy, whose name I can never remember. Brian... is it Brian? It's something really normal and, let's be honest, boring. She probably could have done better but he's a safe guy who won't cheat on her and will look after her. Brian... yeah, I'm sure it's Brian... she must have sent me a Christmas card with his name in... must remember to look._

_Stone finished the end of his career on a high – solving a serial killing of thirty men and women. But sadly that was the end. He died in the line of duty but I think he would have wanted it that way._

_Fox did very well for himself and I still meet up with him once a month, ha. He's a great guy with a lovely wife, Cassandra, – who teaches at Hogwarts! – and a couple of kids, Tabitha and Francis – how can I remember their names and not my brother-in-law's?_

_Now let me tell you a story. It'll clear everything up, promise._

_Once upon a time – oi, don't roll your eyes and sigh at me, mate, bloody well carry on reading!_

_I'll start again._

_Once upon a time, there was a boy who everyone loved and he had a lovely girlfriend. Yet he decided that wasn't enough for him, he wanted more than just this wonderful girl. He had two best friends, one of which was a girl, intelligent and beautiful inside and out. The boy romanced his best friend and cheated on his perfect girlfriend. But don't blame the best friend in this, she did nothing wrong but fall in love – you can't help who your heart wants. Rumours started about this affair and many others but the girlfriend was strong (and maybe naive) and didn't believe the stories. Maybe if she did, everything would have been different. _

_Now, in all of this you should remember that the boy had two friends._

_Now do you see?_

_Let me explain anyway for all you Crabbes and Goyles out there._

_I loved (or love?) Hermione and I couldn't stand to watch her fall apart – she loved Harry but Ginny was her best friend. It hurt so much to watch her love Harry and not me; I wouldn't have broken her heart like he did. You could see her crumbling every time she saw Ginny and Harry together and the guilty consumed her when her and Harry were together._

_And how dare he break my little sister's heart. _

_Mum always told me to protect and look after Ginny so that's what I did. She needed to be rid of Harry and she wasn't going to break up with him, even if she did find out about the cheating. Harry needed to be gone._

_So I got rid of Harry._

_But that bloody wimp Creepy saw me leaving; he just had to die._

_You see I had everything done perfectly. I had the perfect alibi – the poor pathologist's precise times were wrong, he said between 8 and 9 (off the record) when I was in the hall for 7.  
Cheeky, I know._

_Then I managed to become that rookie amateur detective who everyone roots for and loves... that's me. I had no suspicion placed on me because I was "helping" to find the killer._

_Lavender knew._

_She told me after it was all finished and done, on her wedding day actually.  
She was marrying Seamus (what a surprise there!) and her father had passed away, so she asked if I would walk her down the aisle and as we reached the end, she gave me a hug, a kiss on the cheek and whispered in my ear._

"_Your secret is safe with me."_

_Merlin, no, I'm not stupid. I didn't just assume she meant murder but I talked to her later and she explained and got my reasoning completely accurate. It was the photos from Colin's camera that sealed it for her but even then she didn't say anything – she still keeps in touch with Pansy Parkinson, she's actually godmother to Rose (whose name I chose!), one of Pansy's children, and, for your information, I'm godfather._

_I didn't kill Lavender; I didn't need to. _

_The elves did know what I'd done; the elves know everything. But they didn't tell Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson or anyone else who asked because I was their favourite and they weren't going to see their favourite Master arrested and kissed by dementors. _

_Well, that's the end of this story but I'll leave you with one final thought for you to think over:_

_**Murder is easy**__. _

* * *

_MWAH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!_

_It's never the one who helps the detectives so I decided that it would be. And yes, before your little minds begin to wonder, it's been him since the very beginning!_

_Thank you so much reading, reviewing, favouring and alerting this story – I've adored writing it and I've loved reading every one of your beautiful reviews._

_Best wishes,  
loony._

_P.S. Please don't hate me :D_


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